


I Hold on for You

by Archaeodigit_dima



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, He is fueled by this and isn't going to be nice to people in his way, M/M, Slow Burn, Theseus feels extremely guilty, he wants to find his friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 22:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9144682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archaeodigit_dima/pseuds/Archaeodigit_dima
Summary: Theseus realized he made a mistake four months earlier, a mistake that has cost his friend Percival Graves dearly. He know must try and make things right.Bit of a slow burn. Eventual Theseus and Percival relationship.Violence warning due to one later chapter. Rating is just in case.





	1. Time to Begin to Make Things Right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sal_paradise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sal_paradise/gifts).



I was use to cleaning up my brother’s mishaps, but it was quite another thing to find out the Newt had fixed one that was my own fault. 

How did I not notice that after that night Percival wasn’t the same?

It had all happened the night that Percival, I and the rest of the task force thought they had Grindelwald cornered. Man we were wrong. He must have known we were coming, that graveyard should have been enough of a warning. As soon as we got there he attacked, knocking out nearly everyone there. 

Soon enough there was only Graves and myself fighting Grindelwald. 

“Do the two of you really think you are on the right side?” Grindelwald taunted us. “I mean if a single muggle walked into this scene you would be honour bound to protect them, even if it meant your life. If you didn't you will be forever tainted. How is that law serving us? It is binding us, destroying wizarding kind!”

“Shut up Grindelwald!” Percival yelled, unleashing a curse with his free hand and then another with his wand. 

I attacked Grindelwald with almost the same intensity as Graves, but no matter what we sent at him somehow Grindelwald managed to block it. He knew he had us beat and he started to fight back, his wand was moving so fast that I was able to keep up with. I kept having to take a step back. Percival was barely keeping up, but it was my mistake to have even looked over at him. Next thing I know I was flying through the air, the wind being knock of me. 

“Theseus!” I heard Percival yell as I hit a tombstone. My vision went black.

When I woke up, Grindelwald was nowhere to be seen, at least that is what I thought at the time. He was standing a distance away from me, with his back to me. I slowly tried to get up; my back was killing me and my head spun. I looked around everyone else was still out cold. 

“What happened,” I croaked. 

“He got away,” Percival had said. “He faked me out and apparated from here.” 

He was pretty quiet from there on out. I should have knew something was wrong then. He had also been a bit protective; I had fallen down a set of stairs are one point and he had fretted for an hour. But when I get thrown into in a tombstone and he was staring off into the distance. I had just thought he was sulking cause Grindelwald got away, but it was just Grindelwald not knowing how Percival and I had interacted.   
I was just oblivious and now I was in London finding out that my best friend was kidnapped by the most evil dark wizard in the world. He was somewhere, most likely having been starved, tortured and been isolated from other people for four months. His only company being the month who was keeping him captive. I really fucked up.  
What was worse is that none of Percival friends noticed that he wasn't himself. It was my little brother who had never meant him. Now I was standing in my room in London about to do something rather stupid, because I felt guilty and I had to get there to rescue my friend. I was about to make and use a portkey all the way to the MACUSA headquarters in New York City. It was a risk but at this point, it was one I was going to take.   
I had took one of the tea pots from my kitchen and work the spell on it. Now was the moment of truth, this was going to be extremely uncomfortable. Here goes everything.   
I touched the portkey, and everything started to swirl around me. Normally it would be only a few second but this time it was much longer. It felt like a few minutes, but I knew it was only about 30 seconds; that was long enough to make me worry that I wouldn’t arrive at my destination.   
Then things began to clear, the room began to take form. There were dark wooden walls, book cases full of old leather bound books and a large oakwood desk. The form of a woman behind all began to take shape. She had chestnut coloured skin, with her white hair hidden beneath a black scarf with only two tuffs poking out at either side of her face. She look extremely tired, with dark circles forming beneath her red tinges eyes. She must have been crying.   
Once I appeared, shock filled her face. She quickly rose to her feet, wand ready to attack me if needed.

“Seraphina,” I said quietly. I was hoping for more force behind my voice, but it came as a croak. I was disorientated from the journey; my stomach squirming as if I had just been spinning around in circles for an hour. All this prompted me to grab hold of the desk in front of me.

“Theseus?” She asked.

“Where the hell is Percival? He can’t fail him again.” I state and then sank to the floor of her office. The world was still spinning even without the portkey. Like I said it wasn’t the smartest of ideas.


	2. I Lose my Dignity to a Teapot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theseus argues with Seraphina Picquery over attempting to find Percival Graves
> 
> Also Theseus deals with the consequences to using a Portkey to travel over the Atlantic ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Throwing up

The teapot I was holding was shaking in my hand. The lid of the teapot was clanking against its base, making a rattling sound that filled the room. I was extremely disorientated, as I sat on the ground waiting for the room to stop spinning and my stomach to settle. 

“Theseus did you damn well portkey into my office?” Seraphina yelled at me. 

“Did the fact that I am holding on to a teapot tip you off?” I responded, my sass causing her to sigh. 

“Please tell me you weren’t coming from London.” 

I gave her a wry smile, knowing that she already knew the answer as she asked. She walked over to where I was sitting on the floor. With a flick of her wand two comfy chairs appeared nearby. 

“That was extremely stupid and dangerous idea,” Seraphina stated, as she removed the tea pot from my hands and placed it on her desk. She then helped me to my feet leading me over to one of the chairs. 

“Trust me I realize that and can feel the stupidity of it,” I murmured as I leaned back into the chair. The world had stopped spinning but my stomach still hadn’t settled, I was just hoping that I wouldn’t throw up at this point. “But I had to get here as quickly as possible after I had gotten the message about Percival from Newt.”

“Of course that is why you are here,” she huffed. “Not because your brother caused so much damaged with his beasts that got loose.” 

Before I could even begin to get angry with her comment, the door to the office exploded inward, and a young woman with short brown hair charged in. She had her wand at the ready, expecting some kind of fight … although that loud blast had my stomach losing the fight with my disorientation. 

“Ma’am we had a report of an unauthorized person portkeyed into your office,” the young woman stated in a commanding voice. 

“Accio teapot,” I stated with immense urgency. 

“Yes someone did Miss Goldstein,” She eyed me with contempt and then some worry as I lost my lunch into the teapot. “This lovely man here decided to portkey from London and is suffering the consequences. Tina may I suggest you locate Mr Scamander and let him know that his brother, Theseus Scamander, has decided to visit. Once I am done with Theseus here I will send him to you for accommodation for the night.”

“Yes Madame President,” Tina gave me a questioning look. I have to admit this was not the best introduction I have ever made. 

“And Tina could you repair the door on your way out?” Picquery asked.

As Tina left the pieces of the door began to mend themselves back into place; I wish I could say the same about my ego and dignity it was still shatter into many pieces. Seraphina turned to face me looking equal parts disgusted and annoyed with my very presence. Surprising considering I had thought she was my friend, although I had made a terrible entrance. 

“Are you done?” she pointed to the teapot. 

I simply nodded, with a flick of her wrist the teapot disappeared. To be honest I felt a lot better, but I was definitely not doing that ever again. Picquery walked back over to her desk, rearranged the papers that she had flown in her haste to be read to fight if I had been an enemy. I was grateful for the extra time to regain my senses. Once she was sure that her desk was sufficiently reorganized she walked over to the second chair that she had produced. Seraphina said down in it and looked straight at me. Her expression was unreadable. I had to admit she had a great poker face, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking at that moment. It was making me rather uncomfortable. Then again I had just appeared without invitation into the office of the President of MACUSA, who was sitting across from me. Friend or not, I really shouldn’t feel comfortable in this moment. 

“You said you were here because of what happened to Percival,” Seraphina stated.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t care? That I wouldn’t come running to try and help find my friend?” I questioned her. “I screwed up once already by not immediately noticing that there was something was wrong that night. I am not going fail him twice.”

“We don’t even know if he is alive?” She huffed out the answer. “The only person who can answer that is not likely to tell us anything that is the truth. Grindelwald was able to fool us all for four months. There is no reason to believe anything he has to say.”

“Where are you going with this Picquery?” I asked suspiciously. 

Something didn’t seem right with where she was going with her train of thought. It sounded like she had already given up on Graves, that she thought he was dead … therefore there was no reason to even try and find him. I was usually calm and didn’t show much emotion but Seraphina was pushing me well past the point of caring if I sounded rude or unreasonable. Our friend … my best friend was missing, most likely tortured and yet she doesn’t seem to care. 

“Grindelwald was using a transfiguration charm when your brother revealed his identity! If Percival was still alive he would have been using a polyjuice potion, it takes far less effort and is less likely to be undone,” Seraphina stated. 

“Please tell me you are not basing your decision not to look for Graves on the spell that Grandelwald used to disguise himself at that moment?” Seraphina’s silence I took as a confirmation of my suspicions. “There could be a variety of reasons that he wasn’t using a Polyjuice potion at that very moment. Maybe he didn’t expect to be out that long? From what I understood from Newt’s message was that the obscurist event was rather long, much longer than the hour life of Polyjuice. So he could have used the transfiguration spell to avoid losing the appearance of being Graves over the course of the fight.”

“That is a lot of speculation,” she replied calmly.

“And your statement isn’t?” I shot back. 

There was a long silence between the two of us. I could tell that she was trying to formulate what to say next; so was I. I could see what Seraphina was saying but I couldn’t be that defeatist. If I agreed with her than it would mean that my mistake got my friend killed. There was no hope in her version of events. I needed hope, that hope to hold on to that Percival isn’t dead. I could not agree with that .. I just couldn’t. 

“We have to try. We have to try and question Grindelwald. Yes I know he won’t tell us out right if Percival is alive or … or -” I couldn’t say dead. The word just got stuck in my throat. I barely was able to hold back tears. I had to close my eyes and stop for a second to refocus. “But he may let something slip, something that may help us. It is better than doing nothing.”

“Or he could lead us right into a trap!” Seraphina was stuck in her stance.“I will not let anymore of my Aurors fall … die to this man.” 

There it was. That was why she didn’t want to do this. This I could understand but I had a solution to that. Not send anyone but me; only me. 

“We have failed Percy for too long. How could we have not noticed? I should have seen something wrong from the beginning! We have to find him soon. If we don’t we may lose him forever! L-let me talk to Grindelwald, and if anything comes from it then I will go; only me. N-no one else has to get hurt.” This time I could stop the tears. They just started to roll, down my cheeks as I spoke, my voice cracking at points. 

“I know … Don’t you think I feel the same? He was in my office for so long. I organized missions with him and yet I saw nothing!” She was angry. I could see that now, she was as angry with herself as I was with myself.   
She let out a breath then, “Let me try first. If I can’t get anything out of him then, and only then I will allow you to try and get the information out of him. Just promise me you won’t go too far”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Also I couldn’t actually promise that I wouldn’t go too far; I knew that Grindelwald would push my buttons. He would push me farther than I can probably handle. He knew my weak point … hell he had become my weak point. 

“I will interrogate Grindelwald tomorrow. Now you go and talk to Newt; impress on him the importance of not letting No-mags see magical beasts and about not letting them run amok in the middle of a No-mag city.”

I chuckled a little, wiping away the tears from cheeks. 

“You don’t think I have tried for years. Although, most of his “beasts” are absolutely harmless. The Niffler is annoying as hell, but most are harmless,” I responded. 

“Elg … Not you too. I expected more from you Theseus!” Seraphina sounded absolutely disgusted. 

“You do realize that our mother breeds Hippogriffs right? I commented. “Most people think they are extremely dangerous. They really aren’t you just need to give them a little respect an-”

“So it is a family business then,” She concluded. “Now get out my office and get some sleep. Tina should be able to find you a place to stay.”


	3. Newt Knows me Better than I do Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theseus has a heart to heart with Newt. There is a lot that they need to talk about, but Newt know Theseus better than he knows himself.

After I was practically kicked out of Picquery’s office I was left to roam the halls of MACUSA, in search of a woman that I had only briefly met. This was not going to be a fun moment of hide and seek.  
I had been to MACUSA’s headquarters twice before, which was what had enabled me to create a portkey straight into the President’s office. Although, if I had to be honest, I hadn’t been memorizing the layout of the place. I had only been blindly following Percival around as we quickly got what we needed and then left immediately afterward. There was no time to look around and take in my surroundings. We had a very specific reason to be there each time; getting more information or tools to hunt down Grindelwald.  
Damn it; I really should have been paying more attention. I don't even know what department this Miss Goldstein works in. Seraphina must have figured this would great pay back for my method of arrival into her office.  
I started to come to an area that was a bit more populated than the empty corridors surrounding Seraphina’s office. At least now if I really couldn’t figure out where to go I could ask someone.

“Hi Mister, Mister Scamander! You lost honey?”came a chipper voice that I didn’t recognize.

I looked around to find the source of said chipper voice and figure out how they knew my name. A very pretty woman with golden curly hair cut short into a bob came over and linked her arm around mine. She had an easy smile that would normally make me feel relaxed but honestly I was highly confused. 

“Umm?” was about all I was able to get out before she started talking again.

“Oh you’re looking for Tina!” She said in a nonchalant voice. “She’s my sister, I’m Queenie by the way. I think your brother is with her too.”

How the hell did she know that? Then it clicked …

“You’re a Legilimens, aren’t you?” I asked trying not to sound rude.

“Mmhm,” Queenie agreed. “Don’t worry honey you aren’t being rude. Follow me Mister Scamander.”

I was dragged along by Queenie as she walked cheerfully through the hallways. She was humming happy; her cheerfulness was contagious. I found myself smiling without really knowing why. We came to a stop in front of an elevator, operated by a Goblin.

“Hiya Red,” Queenie greeted the Goblin. “Major Investigations Department please.”

“Why you need to go there? You don’t work in that department.”

“That’s just rude Red. I am taking this nice man there. Madame President wants him to meet with Tina.”

With a grunt of disbelief the globin activated the elevator and we began a quick descent into the depths of MACUSA. As fast as we had started moving, we came to a stop. I thought I was over my disorientation but that quick descent did not help matters at all.  
Once the doors of the elevator opened I began to recognize things. This was an area of MACUSA that I recognized; Percival had brought me here when we had to pick up items in our hunted for Grindelwald. I followed Queenie as she lead me through a wooden door to the large room filled with bookcases, cabinets and tables; a room I remembered spending time with Graves in. My mind started to cloud over with memories of joking and laughing while we looked over maps and documented sightings.

“Tina!” Queenie called into the room. “I got the older Scamander brother here. Mrs Picquery wants you to find him a place to stay for a few days.”

“Sorry Queenie, would mind staying of my mind please?” I asked calmly, it was starting to making feel off, with her presences constantly touching the edge of my mind. I was afraid that she might go deeper into my mind; I was definitely not comfortable with a woman I just met doing that.

“She can’t really help it,” came the quiet voice of my little brother. “Trust me I have asked her many times.”

He was sitting across from Tina. They had been looking at some papers that had Newt’s writing scrawled across them. There were also drawings of different creatures he must have encountered during his long travels. He looked extremely excited, Newt had a smile that filled his face. Tina had the same genuine smile, not the fake one that people often put on when Newt talked to other witches and wizards when he talked about magical creatures. He was also looking directly at Tina, something that was rather rare for Newt. I smiled, it looked like he had finally found someone who he could open up to.

“Look rather terrible …” Newt commented trailing off at the end; he was looking rather worried.

Thanks, I did just portkey across an ocean and threw up in a teapot so it is to be expected. I thought to myself. Oh wait that was a mistake.

“Mister Scamander you did not just portkey across ocean?” came Queenie’s rather upset voice, I was surprised by how much her disapproval made me feel bad. “No wonder you threw up in your teapot.”

I am never going to out live the tea thing. It will no longer be Theseus the War hero … oh no it will be Theseus the guy threw up in a teapot!

“Yes I did … I had to get here quickly,” I responded looking down and away.

I took a deep breathe. This was going to be quite the conversation, how was I going to explain why I had to come over so quickly to Newt; especially with two other people in the room.

“Umm Tina I think we should go and find a place for Theseus to stay,” came Queenie’s voice. She had walked over to where Tina was sitting, not so subtly trying to give Newt and I some privacy. In that moment I was happy that she was a Legilimens.

“I can do that right here,” Tina replied. Clearly she hadn’t picked up why Queenie was trying to get her out of the room.

“No we need to get the beds at our place ready,” she inclined her head to the door and gently pull at her sister’s arm as she dragged her away.

“One is oblivious and the other is as subtle as a hippogriff in a china shop,” I mumbled under my breathe, getting a chuckle out of Newt as I stand down in the chair that Tina had just left.

We sat in silence as I tried to figure out what to say to Newt. We hadn’t seen each other in a while so there was too much that was unsaid. I knew from when we were little if I didn’t say something first this would be a several hour long wait before Newt said a single word. I was going to have to make the first move or we may be sitting here until tomorrow morning.  
I figured enough time had past when I felt my jacket being pulled down ever so slightly as a the little green bowtruckle climbing up to my shoulder. It was Pickett, the only one of Newt’s bowtruckles that didn’t like staying on their tree; instead he liked to travel around with Newt. I smiled as Pickett got into a comfortable position between my shoulder and neck.

“Newt,” I began. “You know we are all proud of you back home; Mom, dad and I. Even more now that you helped save New York City. Other people might not get why you care so much about magical creatures, but we do and we are proud that you take so much joy in helping and learning more about them.”

“I kind of know that,” Newt said so quietly I could barely hear him.

“Kind of?” I mumbled … I was going to have to figure out a way to get that through his head at some point. “Newt I have an important question to ask you.”

“About my creatures?” Newt replied too quickly, clearly nervous. “They didn’t hurt anyone … I swear.”

His voice had gotten rather quiet and desperate to prove that what happened wasn’t his fault. Everyone must have blame his creatures for doing all the things that the obscurist … Credence … had done. Just like at Hogwarts, he gets blamed for the negative actions of others; him and his creatures when they are innocent.

“No it isn’t about your creatures Newt,” I said extending my arm grabbing his forearm trying to calm him. “I know they weren’t responsible. I know that they aren’t dangerous.”

Once I was sure that he had calmed down and knew that I wasn’t mad at him, I continued.

“I just want to know how you need that the Percival Graves who you were interacting with was an imposter?” I asked quietly. “I couldn’t even tell that night, h-how did you know?”

“He wasn’t the man you wrote to me about,” Newt commented.

“Wait you got my letters - and mom’s I am assuming too - but you didn’t respond to them?” I questioned him. I sent so many letters over the past year and not a single one got a response. He gave me an embarrassed look. “Don’t you give me that look.”

“I thought you were still upset with me about taking the fall for Leta …” Newt responded not looking at me.

“For the love of God! That was thirteen years ago Newt. We were never upset; I was pissed as hell at Leta, that she let you take the fall and get expelled but never at you. I was annoyed that you let yourself be used by her. But mom, dad and I are so proud of where you have gone. You are working for the ministry to teach people more about magical creatures; how can we not be proud of that?”

Newt seemed to almost blush. Maybe this time the fact that we are not angry with him will get through it him. But I have had this conversation so many times with him over the thirteen years since the incident, as I called it, that I was getting to the point of wondering if he would ever get to a point where he would think we were proud of him.

“Can I answer your question now?” Newt asked looking right at me.

I nodded.

“Like I was saying he wasn’t the man you wrote about loving. You told me that he was kind but focused on his work. Not just because it was his job but because he actually cared about the people who were getting hurt. The Graves I saw was cruel and cold. He wasn’t present when people were talking, he didn’t listen and believed that he was right in everything.”

“When he interrogated us about the death of Senator Shaw, he wouldn’t listen to anything that I would say; he wouldn’t listen. He talked about the obscure as if it was a weapon and didn’t care about the life that it had taken. That man spoke about Grindelwald’s philosophies as if they were his own. It was with far too much conviction in his words. Then even though Tina had nothing to do with the beasts, who he thought had killed Shaw, he sentenced her to death too. I knew you wouldn’t love someone who was like that. That isn’t the type of man you are, you wouldn’t be with a man who has no compassion and sees everyone has a tool to be used to gain their goals.”

Newt’s reasoning hit me like a ton of bricks. Newt knew me better than I knew myself. I hadn’t wanted to admit that I loved Percival to anyone else but Graves and Newt; but in doing that I hadn’t allowed myself to know that I myself loved him.

“Newt, I have to find him,” I confessed. “I- I messed up, I didn’t realize what had happened. I thought that he needed space; that he was upset with himself and me that we didn’t capture Grindelwald. Or maybe he never really liked me the same way I did him. Maybe even that I was just his European fling, that I meant nothing to him.”

I had to take a breath. I was starting to ramble, not really knowing what was going to come out of my mouth next.

“B-but none of those options were the t-truth. He was c-capture by … That m-man that I par-arted with wasn’t hi-him,” I commented; my voice faltering.

Newt got up and moved around to my side of the table. He wrapped his arm around me in an awkward hug, trying to comfort me.

“We will find him. I won't let you deal with this on your own; but for now you need to get some rest. Picquery won’t let you in on anything else today. Let’s go find the Goldstein sisters, I highly doubt that they got very far.”

I nodded. Newt was right I needed some rest to clear my head, I wasn’t going to be any use to anyone in this state. I needed to rest, to think everything over so I can be more logically in my actions. I needed to be if I wanted any chance of outsmarting Grindelwald in an interrogation. I knew he would be able to get under my skin easily and I couldn’t let that happen.  
Pickett continued to lean into my neck, as if he was hugging me. It helped me to calm down. We walked towards the door that the two sisters had exited maybe twenty minutes earlier. Newt had been right about them not getting that far, as soon as he opened the door we saw the two of them standing right outside. Tina and Queenie must have been listening outside the door the whole time.  
I looked over at Queenie, she had a few tears on her cheeks. As soon as I made eye contact with her, she launched herself at me. Queenie wrapped her arms around me into a tight hug. I didn’t really know what to make of this sudden contact with her. I just stiffened.

“We will find him. It wasn’t your fault honey,” came her calming voice. “Don’t you go blaming yourself Theseus. Mister Graves wouldn’t want you to.”

She was so sincere in her words, it made me believe what she was saying was true. She would know since she is a Legilimens, and couldn’t seem to control it either. Her kindness made my poor attempts to keep the floodgates on my emotions closed failed. I hugged her back tight and cried into her shoulder as she calmly hugged me back. I guess this is what I really needed comfort and help finding him. I started to feel comfortable in myself again, for the first time in four months.


	4. Grindelwald Knows My Weak Spots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theseus interrogates Grindelwald  
> No real descriptions of torture in this chapter  
> if you have any questions about specific trigger message me or comment on the last chapter and I will be glad to answer them.

That night consisted of the four of us laughing far too much over embarrassing our siblings over dinner and snacks. It was a good time that was very much needed by all of us. Then we headed to bed for the night.  
To say I had a fitful sleep seemed to me to be an understatement. It took me quite a while to get my mind off of all the things that could have happened and could be happening to Percival so I could actually fall asleep. Once I had actually managed to get to sleep, it wasn’t peaceful. My dreams were full of images of Percy crying out, Grindelwald torturing him and him asking me why I let this happen. I woke up around 4 am, I was cover in a cold sweat. I had tears on my cheeks from crying.  
I layed down more several minutes listening to the apartment around me. It was eerily quiet, which meant that I didn’t wake anyone up. I had been rather nervous that my thoughts might have made their way to Queenie and woke her up with imagines from my dreams. I didn’t want to burden her with more than I already had. She was far too kind for that.  
I decided not to try and fall back asleep. One nightmare adventure was enough for me. Instead I sat up and thought about what Grindelwald could say to disarm me if … no … when I got to interrogate him. I knew he would have gotten Percival’s and my relationship out of him … well if not he would have at least suspected it from my initial letter that he wrote back with what must have been the American vision of “that’s nice but bugger off. I don’t care about you anymore.” That letter still stun even though I knew Percy wasn’t the one who wrote it. He would push at the feeling of guilt I felt. Maybe he might even boast about how he had hurt Graves. I was going to have to compartmentalize all those feelings and fight back at him. That meant I had to deal with those feeling myself and forgive what I thought was my own fault. Easier said than done. 

~~~

Newt awoke, several hours later, to me nervously pacing back and forth in the spare bedroom we were staying in. I tended to do that when I needed to think. Newt had his creatures to take care of when he needed to think, I had pacing. Newt’s niffler had somehow, yet again, escape from the suitcase and was watching me from his perch the night table; or he was watching the shiny necklace I was wearing. I could never really tell with him. 

“If you keep pacing like that you are liable to wake up Tina and Queenie,” Newt grumbled, clearly not yet awake. 

“Did you let me out,” he sleepily pointed to his niffler. 

“Nope,” I responded. “But he has always been a great escape artist. 

Newt grumbled and fell back onto his pillow and pulled his sheets over his head trying to block out the light and noise. 

“Hey boys there is coffee and breakfast out here for you both,” Queenie called out from the other side of the door. “And tea for you Newt.”

A muffled thank you came from underneath the sheets. I may have to drag him out of bed so that he actually eats breakfast, and doesn’t skip that meal like he usually does. 

“Come on wake up,” I said pushing at the lump under the sheets. “You can’t go and feet the lovely creatures in your suitcase.”

A grunt of annoyance was all I got from the lump. I grabbed his suitcase and brought into the kitchen so he would have to come out at some point. His niffler looked to the lump on the bed and back over to me; then hopped down from his perch and followed me into the kitchen. 

“Not that little pain,” Tina said with a pained voice. She placed a cup coffee in front of me and herself. 

“I am guessing you have had some experience with this little vandal here,” I surmised.

“All over the damn city,” eyeing the little guy with contempt. 

The niffler didn't seem to care about how little everyone like him as he settled into my lap after I had taken a seat one of the chairs. I looked down at him, and notice that my necklace was no longer around my neck. How the hell had he managed that? 

“Give it back little guy,” I said sternly at the Niffler. 

He looked around trying to act like he didn’t do anything wrong. 

“Niffler give it back to him,” came the groggy voice of Newt finally coming out of the room. His hair was standing up in so many directions. “Now.”

The Niffler looked down and slowly reached into his pouch and pulled out my Dragon Claw charm and chain out. He lift it up over his head. Gently I grabbed it from him and said a quick thank you. 

“Mister Graves gave you that dragon claw?” Queenie said aloud. “Oops sorry when people are hurting it is hard to ignore what they are thinking.”

“Yeah he did,” I said quietly as I put it back on. I drank my coffee quietly, not really wanting to talk about much, or think about anything Queenie might accidentally tell everyone. 

Just as I was wondering how much longer I could keep up my silent act an owl hit the window outside of the apartment. 

“Idiot,” Tina mumbled as she went to window and opened it. 

A little city hawk hopped in through the opening. He had a parchment rolled up and attached to his leg. Tina pulled it off the leg of the hawk and he hopped back out the window. She unfurled the paper and began to read it looking more surprised as she continued reading.

“Theseus you had better get cleaned up,” Tina said after she had finished reading. “The President wants to see you. It looks like she is actually giving you permission to talk to Grindelwald.”

~~~

Less than an hour later I was in Seraphina’s office once again. Tina had dropped me off and then quickly headed back over to her work in the Major Investigation Department. This left Picquery and myself alone in her office. She seemed less angry since this time I had been invited. Seraphina’s looked extremely tired as she sat behind her desk. She had with her elbows on the table, her hand folded together with her chin sitting on top of them.

“I can’t break through him,” She finally said after a brief sentence. “I spent too much time with this man when he was pretending to be my friend and colleague. He knows far too much about me and he is fucking using it against me.”

She dropped her hands onto the table and sat up straight; determination overcame the tiredness.

“I can’t believe I am going to say this, never mind allow it. But Theseus I am going to give you permission to interrogate that bastard. Get something out of him … Just whatever you do please don’t lose your temper and take things too far.”

There was no way I could promise if I could actually contain my temper with Grindelwald but I had to say yes or I wouldn’t get my chance to talk to him. I need to speak to him, I had to take my chances and hopefully get some useful information out of the him.

“I will do my best not to let him get under my skin,” I stated. 

“That wasn’t what I said,” Seraphina said giving me a questioning look, which I shrugged in response. She heaved a heavy sigh, “But that is all I am going to get. Theseus just please don’t attack him … please. I swear you took on way too much of Percival’s personality while you two were working together.”

“I take that as a complement Madame President,” I responded with a cheeky smile.

“It was meant as one,” Seraphina said with a smile. “As annoying as the behaviour is. Now go and learn something.”

~~~

I paced outside of the room that MACUSA had put Grindelwald in. There was a spell put on the room that made casting any new spells, either with a wand or without one. They weren’t taking any chances with Grindelwald, they knew he was too powerful and could escape with ease. There was an upside to this, no matter how much I wanted to curse him at any point I won’t be able to. Main problem is that I could still hurt him in the muggle way … I wasn’t above punching him in the face, several times. 

My hand hesitated over the door knob. 

“Okay Theseus you can do this,” I whisper to myself. 

I opened the door and walked in. Grindelwald was sitting at the table in the room, his mismatched eyes staring intently at me. It was unnerving, his entire appearance seemed rather off. He seemed to put together for a man who being held captive by MACUSA; you would think he wouldn’t be as confident as he was now.

“Well well well. If it isn’t Theseus Scamander,” Grindelwald mused. 

I ignored that comment as I moved over to the table where he sat. There was a chair on the opposite side, I pulled it back and sat down. I kept my chair pulled back and away from table, the idea of pulling right up to the table and being so close to Grindelwald disgusted me. 

“Grindelwald so you are finally locked up,” I commented trying to keep my voice as even as possible. “And you were caught, not by an auror but by my little brother. A protector of beasts and not a fighter in the least. That must be rather embarrassing for you.” 

Grindelwald’s eye twitched ever so slightly. Excellent I hit a nerve, now I just need to keep him off balance so he doesn’t do the same to me.

“I have a couple of questions for you to answer,” I continued. “Did you have any help infiltrating MACUSA? Was there anyone here who knew who you were and still continued to help you?”

“Of course not,” Grindelwald replied. He was smiling all of the sudden, it was an unnerving thing to see. “I didn’t need anyone to help me blend in. Graves was already so cold to everyone around him, it was easy to fit into his place. Then again, why would I need to have anyone to help him when not even the man that Percival loved could tell that I was not Percival Graves.” 

I clenched my jaw trying to control my immediate desire to punch him across the face. How did he know about Percy and myself? No one knew, he must have gotten it out of him somehow. Oh no … there was only one way for that to have happened. 

“You don’t know what you are talking about Grindelwald,” I said through clenched teeth, staring straight into his eyes. 

“Oh yes I do,” Grindelwald continued. “He called for you Theseus. He called for you to save him. Called your name over and over again, screamed it is a more accurate description. It is so sad; he had such confidence in you but you couldn’t tell the difference. That night you just accepted me leaving. Percy kept on screaming your name as I torture him, getting the information I needed from him. He tried for you when his voice faded to barely a croak. All that effort for a man that truly didn’t care for him; a man who couldn’t see anything was different.”

“He cried for you ‘Theseus, Theseus please help me.’ I was so pathetic,” Grindelwald said imitating Percival’s voice cranking and strained. 

I clenched my jaw even tighter; I curled my hands into fists, my knuckles turning white. I was trying to stop the rising hatred for Grindelwald and my desire to punch him across the face. At the same time there was growing sense of guilt that was sitting at the bottom of my stomach. I should have known, I should have seen a difference. 

“You saw nothing and yet your little, idiotic, non-maj loving brother could see through my act,” Grindelwald continued. “It must make you feel so guilty. It really should. Percival trusted you so much, you are worthy of a single scream for you that he gav-”

“SHUT UP,” I yelled as I stood up, slamming my hands down on to the table between us. “You are the one who did that to him. Yes I should have seen but you are the one who hurt him. Now you are caught and you will tell me where Percival Graves is.” 

“So that is the reason you came here isn’t it,” Grindelwald concluded with a triumphant smile spreading across his face. “Do you really think he is still alive? How adorable.”

“I know Percival is still alive!”

“Are you sure about that? Why would I need him alive? I was using a transfiguration spell when I was found.”

“Bull shit,” I responded. “We both know that is only a short term spell. You pretended to be him for four months! You had to use the polyjuice potion for most of your time at MACUSA.”

“Perceptive little shit aren’t you,” Grindelwald said leaning closer to where I was standing over the table. “I did use polyjuice potion but I have been here for two days now. How long do you think your precious Percival can hold on without any food. He didn’t have much water left when I had visited him last. Add to that how weak he was already. How long do you think he has left?”  
Grindelwald stop letting those facts seep in, leaning back into his chair was again. That smug smile of his growing as time passed. I had at least gotten something out of him; Percival was alive when they captured Grindelwald, but that meant nothing if I didn’t get to him soon. He would be as good as dead, I had to get his location out of this asshole. 

“I would give maybe ten hours, if he isn’t already dead,” Grindelwald commented. 

That is when I snapped; grabbing him by his robe with both hands, pulling him in closer. That smile fading from his face and fear flashing for just a second as his body slammed into the table. 

“Listen here you jackass. You are going tell me where you left Percival,” I said quietly and eveningly. 

“What are you going to do? You have no magic in this room either. You can’t torture me,” Grindelwald replied taunting me.

“Oh really?” I questioned him. “I don’t know about that. Magically I can’t torture or curse you; but muggles have some very effective methods. Maybe I should introduce you to a few of them.”

That is when I really cross the line. Holding on to him with only my left arm I quickly pulled my right back. No longer caring how much trouble I was about to get into I hit Grindelwald hard across his face, my knuckles connecting with his cheek. The force of the hit knocking him from my grob and he landed in a heap on the floor. There was something that fell from behind his shirt hitting the floor with a clank and I was pretty sure I recognized it. Just then Seraphina charged through the door, looking rather angry. 

“I thought I told you not to take things too far,” Seraphina yelled at me. 

I didn’t really pay her much attention as I crouched down next to Grindelwald. My punch had connected well, there was already a bruise forming on his cheek and a cut had formed, bleeding ever so slightly. I looked at the locket, it had an elegant “G” relief on it, with vines crisscross on the edges. This was Percival’s locket, something that he would subconsciously hold on it when he was stressed or thinking. 

“This is Percival’s Locket and you are not going to have it anymore,” I said as I ripped off his neck. 

“Theseus!” Seraphina shrieked as I pulled the locket.  
I walked past her and waited in the corridor for her wrath to be unleashed on me. 

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t,” I muttered. I was holding the locket tight in my right hand. “He got under my skin. You were right that he would be able to, but I had to try. But I did find out the Percival is alive but not for long if we don’t find him soon.”

“That won’t do us any good now that you cross the line by punching him!”

“It doesn’t matter either way. He would never have told us either way.” 

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes we do,” I replied. “He enjoys torturing us, keeping this a secret is giving him far too much joy. I have to go and think.” 

I just walked away from her. I had too much information flying through my head. Too many emotions fighting for the forefront. I just need to sit and think. I put the locket in my pocket the started to head to the Major Investigation Department; hopefully I could think things over.


	5. Memories Come Crashing Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theseus beats himself up about not getting information from Grindelwald. 
> 
> Also sorry it took so long life got in the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any prompts for this story or another one that you want written send an ask to my tumblr: archaeologydigit.tumblr.com

By the time I had made it down to the Major Investigation Department I was completely drained. All the angry I felt towards Grindelwald had been replaced with a feeling of hopelessness. I had tried to get information out of him, which I did, but all it gave me was the knowledge that Percival had been alive when Grindelwald was captured. As of right now he could be dead, but either way since I had no idea where the hell Percy was; he was as good as dead unless some miracle happened. At this point it wasn’t looking very likely.   
I opened the door to the department. I looked around to make sure no was there. Luckily the aurors were out investigating New York. I walked over to one of the larger comfy chairs that was hidden in the back corner of the department and fell into it. 

“Fuck,” I muttered dropping my head into my hands. “I have fucked up so badly.”

I sat there like that for a good five minutes. My breathing had become quick and ragged, making it difficult to catch my breathe. I focused on bringing my breathing back under control, which only served to remind me more of Percival. He had been helping me to keep my rather unpredictable emotions under control. I smiled at the memory of his hand on my back, trying to bring me back to sanity. I had lost my temper when a lead to find Grindelwald had turned out to be a trap and several of the other aurors had gotten badly hurt because of it. I had blamed myself. I was so angry that I had believed the information and gotten people hurt. 

“Breathe Theseus,” Percy calmly stated as he rubbed my back in a small circle. “You are going to hurt yourself if you keep this up.” 

“N-no I’m n-not,” I replied stuttering as I spoke.

I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs to talk without gasp in between words. The world around me had already started to get a bit fuzzy. I looked over at Graves who had an eyebrow raised and a small smirk on his face as he rolled his eyes at me.

“Yes you are. You can barely get any words out because you are out of breathe. Slow down, take a deep breathe and hold it then slowly let it out.”

Grudgingly I did was he said since the fuzziness was getting worse. My heart beat started to slow down after a minute and the room started to come back into focus.

“Better?” Percival asked, as he stopped rubbing my back. 

“Maybe,” I said reluctantly.

“You are so stubborn,” Percy mumbled. “What normally happens when you get like that? When you are on your own?”

“Umm …”

“You black out don’t you?”

“I’m not saying yes and not saying no.” 

“Oh for the love of ....” Percival muttered exasperated. He began to dig into his bag that was sitting on the floor. He pulled out a tiny box. “I was saving this for your birthday but I think you may need it now.”

I took the box from his hand. The box had a tag on it that read “To Trident From Percy.” I smiled at the nickname he had for me, extremely nerdy but it was cute. I slowly opened the box curious as to what it was. Sitting on a satin white pillow there was a small sliver dragon’s claw on a chain. 

“Do you like it?” Percival asked cautiously. 

I nodded. It was the same claw as the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragons that I worked with for a bit during the war with Newt. I must have talked his ear off about what amazing creatures that were and how much I loved dragons. Newt wasn’t the only one who had a thing for magical creatures.   
Percival took the chain out of my hand and put it on me. 

“When you get upset and have trouble breathing, hold on to it. Focus on how it feels in your hand and its weight. It will help you to calm down.”

“Like when you hold on to your locket?” I asked.

“Observant much … Yes like when I hold on to my locket.” Percy had chuckled then held me close.

I sat up straight, having calmed down. I lifted my hand to hold on to that same dragon claw but my hand came up to find nothing there. 

“Oh shit …”

I quickly patted down my pockets looking for the locket but it was there anymore too. I had no doubt that that the damn little niffler had some how managed to take both my necklace and the locket without me noticing. He was rather crafty and annoying that way. I was also curious how the hell he had gotten into MACUSA in the first place.   
I got up and started to slowly look around for the little shit. 

“Niffler, where are you little guy?” I called looking around trying to find a place that he would crawl into to hide his stash. 

I saw movement near a bookcase in the right corner near the door. He was trying to make a run for it, he knew he was in trouble. I slowly pulled out my wand to try and stun the niffler so I wouldn’t have to chase him throughout the building. The niffler appeared right in front of the door looking as innocent as the little jerk could, which was a lot surprisingly. He looked at me, then my wand and then the door behind me. 

“Niffler,” I called softly. “I just want back the locket and my dragon claw. They are important to me. You can keep whatever else you took; it will be our little secret. I promise I won’t tell Newt.”

The Niffler sat down to think about it but then got up and started to make a run for it. 

“Petrificus Totalus!” I said aiming my wand at the creature. But he was too fast, my spell uselessly hit a wall. 

I ran after the little bugger. The niffler ran up a bookcase and out of my reach. Looking down at me as if to say “Try and get me now.” That was a challenge that I was more than willing to accept. I started to climb up the bookcase. Right when I was close enough to reach him he quickly scurried away. 

“Damn it,” I muttered and jumped down. 

I started to chase him from the ground as he jumped from bookcases to desks and cabinets and back. I had forgotten how nimble this little guy was. After what seemed like an eternity I managed to get the Niffler cornered by the door, once again. 

“Come on Niffler,” I said, a little out of breath. “Just give them back.”

His little paws slowly moved to his pouch as if he had given in, but then the door opened behind him. The niffler now had a path to escape and he took it.

“No! Get your ass back here,” I shouted after him running through the door pushing past an extremely confused Tina. 

“How the hell did that thing get into MACUSA again?” she called after me.

“I don’t know and I don’t really care.” I shouted back as I ran after him down the hall. “Now if you would excuse me I have a niffler to catch.” 

The Niffler lead me on a chase that spanned a few floors and several departments; many people kept yelling angrily at me from their desks for interrupting their day and work. A few even yelled about Newt having let “another damn beast” loose on MACUSA. Newt had been here less than a week and he had already made an impression of causing trouble.   
It took about twenty minutes before that damn niffler backed himself into a dead end. There was no door this time that he could shove himself through. I was completely out of breathe by this point, and so was the niffler as he fell on his butt into a sitting position. I wasn’t going to risk him running away yet again, so I had to quickly stunned the niffler before he had rested enough to run away in some crazy direction I wasn’t expecting. 

“Petrificus Totalus!” I aimed my wand at the niffler and this time it hit the little guy. 

I rested my hands on my knees for a second catching my breathe. Once I had recovered some of the energy that I had lost, I picked up the paralyzed niffler off the ground and carried him. I looked around the corridor that I had ended up in, trying to figure out where I had ended up. I walked back the way I had come looking for anything that was familiar, when I passed a door that I recognized. It was Percival’s office. Last time I was here at MACUSA Percival had just briefly entered it and came right back out.   
I tried the door. Of course it was locked, it had been last time too. I tried to think back to the spell that Percival had used to open the door. It had been a nonverbal spell, but I remember the hand movement that he had used. It wasn’t a spell I was familiar but I decided to give it a try, and think about opening the door. Of course that didn’t work, I just looked like an idiot aimlessly waving his wand in front of the Director’s door. I took a deep breathe and tried to think of what spell had that type of wand movement. I came up with nothing. I tried a simple unlock charm and was was surprised when it actually worked. They must have taken down all the wards that had been on the office, not being quite sure which wards had been placed there by Percival and which were Grindelwald’s.   
I walked into the office, it hadn’t changed since I had last been inside. The books were still neatly place on the shelves; all the paperwork was neatly placed in piles on the desk. I pulled the chair out from behind the desk and sat down. I placed the stunned niffler down on the desk. He was slowly coming out of his paralyzed state.

“Niffler,” I stated in a calm but stern voice. “Now I know you took my necklace and the locket from my pocket. I know they are very shiny and pretty but both are very important to me. They are all I have left of a really good friend of mine. Could you please give them back to me?” 

Niffler just sat there contemplating what I had said. He didn’t seem to want to give me back what he had taken. 

“Or I could do this the hard way and turn you upside down and tickle the items out of you. Plus then everything else you have taken will come falling out and then you can’t keep anything,” I stated.

That seemed to make the rascal think. He slowly moved his little paws to his pouch, producing the dragon claw necklace and holding it up for me to grab. I took it from his hand, and put it back around my neck where it should have stayed. 

“And the locket.”

The Niffler let out what I was pretty sure was a sigh, well it was a puff of air at any rate. I was turning into Newt I swear, I am talking and bargaining with magical creatures; including one that kept stealing shit from me. The niffler finally produced Percival's locket and handed it me. 

“Now that wasn’t so hard,” I commented, holding tight to the locket. 

The niffler let out a grunt which seemed to contradict what I said. He moved from the top of the desk and hopped down into my lap curling up in a ball. I looked down at him making sure he wasn’t taking anything else from me. After a few minutes the Niffler closed his eyes and his breathing slowed. A small snore started to escape the creature. 

“Tired yourself out running all over MACUSA, eh?” I murmured to myself. 

I looked over the locket in my hands. It looked exactly like the one that Percival always had hanging around his neck. I held it before and it seem to be the exactly the same as the time before. This was the only piece of Percival that I had left, it felt heavy in my hand with that notion floating around in my head. I tried to keep the tears that were welling up in my eyes from falling down. I didn’t want a stray tear falling on the niffler and waking him up … so I told myself.   
I rubbed my thumb over the ridges of the design. I tried to open the clasp of the locket. It wouldn’t budge. That wasn’t right or normal. I had seen Graves open it enough times to know that it was difficult to open, nor was it locked with magic. This just didn’t seem right. 

“What the hell did Grindelwald do to it?” I asked myself. 

“Alohomora … Aberto …” I went through a stream of unlocking charms, hoping to hear a click. On what felt like the seventeenth spell it finally clicked open. 

I took a deep breathe, not really knowing what I hoped to find. But it had to be something important, or else why would Grindelwald have put a spell locking it tight. I was hoping beyond hope that there was something in there that could lead me to a hint about where Percival could be hiding.

Grasping the locket firmly I slowly opened the clasp, holding my breathe as I did. 

“What the hell?” I muttered.

The locket had opened up to a dark space.Instead of seeing pictures in it, the locket had a spell like Newt had on his suit case expanding it and making a room within it. I could see that there were some items in there, the darkness of the shadows varying showing the depths within. I stared inside it for what seemed like an eternity. I wasn’t sure what to make of this, what was the purpose of this space.   
My question was answered when I saw the shadows move ever so slightly. Something … someone was in there. 

“P-percy?” I called into the darkness of the locket. There was no answer but that didn’t stop me from continuing to call into the depths of the locket.

“Is that you? Are you in there?” I continued.

“Theseus? No … It can’t be I am just hallucinating again.” 

A small voice called back. It was hoarse and quiet, barely there. But I knew that voice, that the was the voice of the man I loved. The thought of him thinking I was a hallucination broke something inside of me.   
Grindelwald had been telling the truth, Percival had been calling my name. He had been calling for me and I wasn’t there to answer him. He had been hallucinating me being there, but I didn’t even know he was missing. I couldn’t think of that now I had to get him out. That was the issue at hand.

“No!” I called out to Percival. “You aren’t. I am really here and I will get you out of there. Just hold on for just a bit longer. Please Percy hold on a bit longer.”

I closed the locket carefully, hoping I wasn’t shaking Percival in the locket. I grabbed hold of the sleeping niffler in my lap and placed him into an inside pocket of my cloak, then quickly stood up. I decided I was going to test my luck with Seraphina’s patience one more time and apparated straight into her office again. 

With a loud crack I appeared in her office. Seraphina jumped right out of her seat, shaken by the sound. Then look straight at me with a look that could have murdered me. 

“Will you fucking stop appearing in my office unannounced?” She screamed at me. 

“I found Percival,” I said without missing a beat.


	6. Time is Running Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theseus has to fight to save Percival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys I have been AWOL for a bit   
> life got crazy

“What?!” She stammered out. “Where is he?”

“He is in this locket,” I responded. “There is an enlargement charm on it. From what I can tell very similar to what Newt has on his suitcase.”

“Are you sure it is him?” Seraphina asked cautiously. 

“Who else would be in a locket that was hanging around Grindelwald’s neck?” I snapped. “Plus I heard him speak.”

Picquery let out an uneasy breath, not quite sure what to make of this information. I was becoming more infuriated by each passing second of her inaction. 

“Seraphina listen, if you aren’t sure it is him, we can always use a revelio charm to confirm his identity,” I stated trying to quell her fears. “But we can’t just leave him in there to die, even if it isn’t Graves; we can’t let another human die because we’re afraid to act.”

I tried to keep my voice civil, but it was angering that she was hesitating in this moment. How could she not want to jump on trying to save Percival? How can she just sit there questioning if this was a good idea or not? Maybe I shouldn’t have come to her with this; instead I should have gone to Newt. He would have understood, plus he has far more experience with these types of spells. But it was too late for those thoughts, I was already here with her and that was that. I was just going to have to convince her to get him out - or just apparate out of here with the locket in hand and pray she doesn’t follow me … umm I will keep that as my backup plan.

“I … I don’t know,” Seraphina mumbled, I gripped the locket and my wand tighter ready to run if I had to. “None of our options are ideal.”

“The world isn’t an ideal place, Seraphina! We just have to make due with what we are given. The options are either rescue Graves from this locket or let him die. It is your choice to make.”

I was done being kind. I was done with people acting as if he was already dead and not even trying to look for him. I couldn’t tell if it was because they didn’t care, they were afraid of what they would fine if they searched, or were so ashamed of not noticing it was better to ignore the problem. I had to be harsh or nothing would get done. 

“That isn’t really a choice,” she mused. “Fine do what you need to get him out but we need to put him in observation afterward, just until we can be sure of his identity … they he is actually Graves. “

“An you can cover your ass,” I mumbled.

“I am going to pretend I didn’t hear that. There is a secure wing of the hospital he can stay in, so you will have to get him out there. I will alert the hospital of your arrival. Go and do what you need to get him out. Your brother seems to have a rather extensive knowledge of expanding charms. Rather extensive considering that they are illegal, just like those beasts of his.”

“Well legality aside Newt really knows what he’s doing,” I responded quickly trying to hide just how much that statement irritated me. It angered me when people attacked Newt, especially since I knew how it made him feel. “Newt is intelligent and kind hearted unlike the two of us. He cares about his creatures and other people more than you could understand. He will help any creature, or person, no matter the cost to himself. That is something you should think about before you insult him.”

“My apologies,” Seraphina replied quietly. Whether she said it with sincerity or not I wasn’t sure, I was wary of her right now with how she was viewing this situation. “Go talk to Newt and bring him to this address. You can begin your work there, I will be waiting there for you.”

With a flick of her wand she produced a piece paper with an address on it. I took it as it drifted over to my hand. It was for an address for a building two blocks from here, it must have been the back entrance to the hospital where the ‘secure wing’ was. My hand gripped the locket tighter, and I decided to go ahead with her plan. 

“I will meet you there in ten minutes,” I said as I turned my back to her. I felt the niffler stir in my pocket, an extra cue that it was time to start moving. I apparated out of her office once again. 

~~~  
I reappeared in Tina’s and Queenie’s apartment, hoping that Newt would be there and I wasn’t disappointed. Downside, I appeared in the middle of Tina yelling at Newt for being irresponsible with his creatures and for letting one escaped again. No one but Queenie noticed my arrival, who quietly moved over to me. 

“Newt you said you fixed that faulty lock!” Tina said exasperatedly.

“I did, I swear,” Newt said curling on himself. His shoulders slumped forward, his arms wrapped around himself. He was upset, most likely he did fix it but one of his creatures broke it again … that niffler was rather ingenious if not infuriating. 

“They have been like this for the past twenty minutes,” Queenie whispered to me. I nodded acknowledging her statement to questions swirling in my head. 

“Then how did the niffler get out!” Tina launched the question at Newt.

“He is a resourceful little asshole,” I said making Tina and Newt aware of my presence. “He probably figured out how to open the lock.” 

“That little jerk’s intelligence doesn’t negate Newt’s responsibility of the creature's whereabouts.” Tina fired back at me. 

She could be quite intimidating when she wanted to be. I felt myself take a step back even though I wasn’t the one her anger was directed at. I was extremely surprised Newt hadn’t run out the door in terror, I may have had that desire myself. The only thing probably keeping Newt in place wa the fact that grabbing his suitcase would make him within arm’s reach of Tina, within her hitting range. 

“Newt, you have to go and find that little shit before he gets me in anymore trouble,” Tina turned her attention back to Newt. 

“I may have the solution to that,” I said pulling the niffler from my pocket that had to stopped stirring and fallen asleep, snoring ever so softly. He was actually kind of cute like that, you could almost forget how much of a pain he was. 

“Oh thank god,” came Tina’s response, her body relaxing almost completely. 

Newt moved forward slightly, looking back at Tina to see if she was going to go after him. Once he was sure she wasn’t going to kick his ass he moved over to me. I was cradling the sleeping niffler as if it was a baby. Once Newt was close enough I handed the little rascal over to him. He cuddled him gently before walking over to his suitcase. He disappeared in it for about a minute - a minute that was full of awkward silences and staring, mainly Tina in my direction. I let out a sigh of relief once he reappeared from the depths of his suitcase. Newt securely located the case, clearly for Tina’s benefit than anything else. 

“So …” I started trying to break the silence that had formed.

“Theseus has found Percival in the locket and he needs Newt’s expertise with enlargement charms to get him out,” Queenie blurted out before I could the full story out. I could only stare at her wondering how much she had heard of my thoughts, too much as usual. “I am sorry hun but you were never going to be able to say all you needed to quickly enough, it has already been fifteen minutes and you really don’t want to keep Miss Picquery waiting for too long.”

“Hmm … you are right,” I conceded. “We have to get over quickly … He … He didn’t have much time left from the w-way he sounded.” 

Newt nodded. 

“I have everything I need in my suitcase,” Newt responded full of determination. “We can go now, lead the way.” 

“Well,” I said trying to compose myself as best as I could, and by that I failed miserably. “Shall we apparate to the president before she hands us our asses?” 

All I got in return was raised eyebrows from everyone in the room. Newt walked over and I grabbed hold of his arm and took him to where Seraphina was waiting rather impatiently for us. 

“Shall we get started?” She asked, I nodded my response.


	7. He ain't heavy he's my brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and watching over each other :)  
> Trying to get this one out quickly so the editing is a bit off sorry about that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mention of blood and war; eluding to PTSD

Seraphine led us down a hallway that was overly bring and sterile. The smell burned my nostrils and reminded me of a muggle hospital I had woken up in during the war. It brought back memories that I rather had stayed hidden. I forced them back down and try to focus on the task at hand.  
Picquet topped near the end of the hallway. She was standing in front of a plain white door. It appeared no different than the other doors that they had passed. 

“Newt you can work in this room” Picquery stated firmly with little emotion. “It is fully secured from the muggle world. Actually this is the same room we investigated your suitcase and creatures within.”

Newt didn’t answer Seraphina, but gave her a defiant look at the mention of his suitcase. I knew Seraphina 

Careful Seraphina, you are poking at a sleeping bear. Go after Newt’s creatures and you may find yourself facing an angry mother bear. 

“Thank you Madame President,” Newt said quietly. “If you don’t mind I would like to get started since time is not on our side.”

“Of course.”

With a flick of her wand the door opened. Behind it was a large room with grey walls and a desk on the far end. There was no where to sit. The room had no blind spots and no window for anyone - or anything - to escape through

Newt motioned for me to hand over the locket, which I reluctantly dropped into his open hand. I trusted that he would do the right thing and keep Percy save, but I was still not quite comfortable with this whole situation. I also didn’t trust Seraphina’s motives with keeping Percy locked up after he was freed from the locket. Could she really think that he may have intentionally and willingly compromised MACUSA? Did she really honk that Percival would have sided with Grindelwald? Her actions were starting to make me think that should she though that was actually true.  
Once Newt had the locket in his hand he turned around and walked into the room. I went to follow I'm in but I was stopped by Seraphina’s hand on my chest.

“Theseus …” she started, her voice softer that I had heard in awhile. “I am sorry but I can’t allow you in there right now. I know you want to help but there will be things that you may have objections to and I cannot allow such a distraction.”

I want to say I was stunned and angry and part of me was; but there was a part of me that knew she was right. I would get anxious and pressure New into working faster which would only make him nervous and possibly make him screw up. I would just be an emotional wrecking ball. I also didn't want to be forcibly knocked out by Picquery which inevitably tried to stop her from questioning Percival.  
I helped Picquery’s gaze for a moment, and looked down. I nodded knowing if I opened my mouth I would argue.With a crack a couch appeared next to the door in the hallway.

“You can wait here,” Seraphina stated and then closed the door leaving me staring directly at it. 

I stood there for a moment, not really looking at the door but looking through it after maybe two minutes, not really sure how much time had past, I sat down on the couch. Ow that there was nothing let to focus on the smell of the spiral was once tan burning my nose. It smelled of chemicals, a strong soap and bleach. Las time I had smelled this there had been a strong iron smell just beneath which no amount of bleach could cover up; the scent of blood. I had been ten years younger but just as scared. The memory wasn’t helping me stay calm. I tried to banish it by focusing on anything else.  
The war had never really left me. “War Hero” is what many people at ministry would call me. Truth be told, I wished they wouldn’t. I wanted to forget the war, let the memories of what happened disappear. The nightmares to go away, the smell of it and the sounds. But they never did, and now new ones started to join the horrors.  
I found my hand holding tightly onto the dragon claw around my neck. I released my grip on the metal and stared down at my hand. The shape of the claw had embedded itself into my hand. I had been holding it so tight that it had broken the skin in edge of my hand, causing it to bleed.

I don’t think this was the outcome that Percy was hoping for when he gave me this to help calm down, I thought to myself.

I grabbed my wand from my pocket and quickly healed my hand, leaving just a trace of dried blood on my hand and the claw. The smell also stayed, making me face the memories. 

“Theseus? What are you thinking about?” Percival asked running his fingers through my hair. 

My head was resting on his chest. I had fallen asleep on the couch in the hotel while waiting for the intel from the locals. I had been sitting next to Percival and must have fell onto him, but he didn’t push me off. Instead, he had wrap his arm around me and continued to read his book. But I must have started to squirm while I was sleeping. I knew I was having a nightmare … no not a nightmare that would mean it was fiction. No what I was dreaming about was a real memory, things that actually happened.  
Percival had set his book down and now was looking worried at me. Still running his fingers through my hair, which was calming me down and grounding me in the present. 

“Theseus? What is the matter?” Percival asked looking down at me, while I continued to remain silent. “Hey none of this silent treatment. You were stirring in your sleep again; calling out but I couldn’t understand for who or what.”

I tried to ignore his gaze, embarrassed by my dreams and nightmares … that Graves had see have them. Would Percy now think that I was a coward, that I was weak? He probably would. 

“Hello silent treatment won't work with me. I have a lot of time to kill and I will hold you captive till you tell me,” Percival muttered. 

I let out a disgruntled sigh, and tried to wrangle away; but Graves hel me tighter in place. It was a death grip that was going to be rather difficult to escape now that I was foolish enough to have been caught in it in the first place. 

“Come one Scamander spill,” Percival stated. “This isn’t the first time I have heard this when you have nee sleeping. What is it?”  
“Memories,” I mumbled.  
“Of …?” Man he wasn't going to let this go.  
“They are memories from the war. Sometimes they come back when I am stressed, other times they are triggered by smells or conversations” I responded, still not looking at him. “I know it is weak of me to be plagued by this but nothing I have died has made me forget.”  
“Theseus look at me,” Percy said and tilted m head so I was looking at his face. “Remembering a terrifying war is not a sign of weakness. It is human, we remember things from our childhood that scared us, why should the horrors of a war be different?”  
“Yeah,” I said but really didn’t believe what I was saying.  
“Don’t yeah me. It is true. Keeping it bottled up doesn't help either, you need to talk with people. Someone who will listen to your experiences and be there to work through it with you. Did you ever talk to your brother about it? SInce he went through the war too.”

I shook my head at the question.

“Newt was ever around afterward. He went studying his creature right after the war, to complete a book for the ministry. And, well letter don’t really work with this kind of conversation.”  
“Point,” Percy conceded. “Well then you can talk to me about it. I will listen, but first go back to sleep. We are going to be here for a quite a while longer and I need you rested. Who knows, if this information pans out we might never get a rest for a few weeks.”

~ ~ ~

“You can come in now,” Newt aid putting a hand on my shoulder. 

I practically jumped out of seat. Partly because he had scared the shit out of me since I had spaced out, and partly because I could finally see Percival again. 

“H-how is he?” I stammered.  
“Unconscious, dehydrated, malnutritioned and very injured,” Seraphina stated as if she was reading off a list.  
“But … he is alive,” Newt added, giving Picquery a look that said What the hell? 

Newt motioned me through the door like I was one of his nervous and fearful creatures. Which if I was to be honest, I kind of was.  
I slowly entered the room and was shocked by how much it had changed. The room now had warm beige walls, a cot with two padded chairs next to it. There was a bedside take with a lamp that was bathing the room in a warm soft light. It was a stark contrast to the clinic, almost prison like feel of the room before There was a sink at the far end of the room with a table next to it with a teapot and cups.  
I slowly walked over to the bed where Percival was lying fast asleep. Even in his sleep he looked troubled. His face was tense, extremely pale, almost grey in colour, but broken up by dark blue and purple bruises, and dark maroon lines of dried blood of healing cuts. He had dark sagging circles under both eyes. If this was what damage I could see on his face I couldn’t, I didn’t want to, imagine the damage done t the rest of his body. I moved to sit down in the chair next to Percival’s bed. 

“We didn’t get much out of him before he collapsed,” Picquery said from behind me. “We are going to keep hIm here until he is healthy enough to answer questions. His answers will determine where he will be moved next.”

Anger welled up in me with her words. How could she not see how Percival was so injured? How could she not see that he didn’t give up anything willingly? I knew she was the President and it was her job to make sure that the magical community was safe and that included making sure no one within in MACUSA was working to harm them. But now wasn’t the time to question him, nor the time to act as if was the one who allowed MACUSA to be infiltrated. There were more people to blame than just him. But just as I was about tell her all that when Newt beat me to it.

“That is enough,” Newt turned on her. “I understand you have a job to do, but now it is not the time. Let Percival regain his strength. The rest can be dealt with later, for now I think you should just leave and let Theseus and I deal with Grave’s recovery.”

Seraphina looked taken aback and hurt but I didn’t care too much, and it seemed neither did Newt apparently from his stance. 

“Yes well,” she muttered. “Give me updates as to his recovery each day then.”

Picquery left the room slowly, looking back at the bed that Percy was on. Something emotion crossed her face before she turned around and walked out of the room. I couldn’t tell if it was remorse or guilt. It was then that I realized that her words were not just her own but the pressure coming from the rest of the council that she worked with. She had pressure coming from all sides and she didn’t know how to balance it all leading to this outburst. I needed to make sure I was ready to defend Percival when the time came about he was recovered.  
Once the door was closed I sat down in the chair next to the bed and pulled the chair closer so I could lean against the bed to keep a closer eye on the broken man lying unconscious there. I felt Newt’s hand on my shoulder, letting me know I wasn’t alone. 

“I am going to be in my suitcase looking after my creatures,” Newt said. “Just knock on the top if you need anything okay?”

I nodded my response, my eyes not leaving Percival’s still form. I left Newt’s hand leaving my shoulder, followed by the sound of the locks opening on the suitcase and click of it closing again. Percival started to stir in his sleep, his face contorting in pain and fear. I was almost certain that he was remembering being trapped by Grindelwald. I gabbed his closest hand gently; holding it I rubbed my thumb gently on the back of his. 

“It is okay Percy,” I quietly told him, hoping that he could hear me through his nightmare. “I am here for you. I will be here for you now, just like you have been there for me. I won’t leave you again.”


	8. Somebody stepped inside your soul Little by little they robbed and stole Till somebody else was in control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival needs time to heal. It is gonna take some time to get his life back. 
> 
> Title comes from the lyrics of "The Troubles" by U2 ... perfectly explains what Percival has been going through in that chorus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have figured there will probably be two more chapters in this fic. Only if there are any one shots any body wants later let me now and I will write them. Thanks for following through this story and how long it has taken me to write.

It was the third day of being in that room when Percival woke up. I mean actually woke up, not one of his false alarms. This time he was really awake and making sense. He was clearly disoriented, scared and tired; but he was at least recognizing the people around him.

“Theseus?” I heard a strained voice. “Is that you?”

I was half asleep myself, I almost thought the voice was part of my dream, but then I heard it again but there was a pleading behind it. The sound startled me right out of my daze.

“Percival? Are you actually awake this time?” I asked tentatively, guarding myself against another false alarm.  
“Hmm,” Percival mumbled an affirmative sound. “I am guessing I woke up in delirium a few times?”  
“Yeah you did,” I gently grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Well this time you are answering the questions asked so I don’t think it is a false alarm this time.”  
“What is all the talking about,” Newt said groggily, clearly still half asleep. 

I chuckled at Newt’s reaction. He had conjured a couch in the room where he could sleep when not tending to his children … I mean his creatures … no I don’t. His red hair was pressed down on the side he had been sleeping on.

“Percival is awake, actually this time,” I commented motioning him over.  
“I am not so sure if I am actually awake now since I am seeing a lanker, younger version of you,” Percival screwed up his in confusion while looking from me to Newt.  
“You are still fully awake,” I managed to say through a fit of laughter. “The other Theseus you are seeing is my little brother Newton Artemis Scamander or better know as Newt. He is the one who discovered that you were missing and he got you out of that locket.”

At the mention of the locket Percival flinched and became distant for a moment. I once again squeezed his hand and ran my thumb over his knuckles trying to soothe him. That seemed to bring him back to the present, away from the pain he had experienced. 

“Thank you,” Percy murmured barely audible.  
“No problem,” Newt responded, “Now I think we should get you sitting up so you aren’t craning your neck quite so much.”  
“Hmm … good idea,” I noted giving my approval.

I helped Graves up and leaned him forward as Newt re-adjusted the pillows so that Percy could sit up better. I notice just how much skinnier he was. Percival had always been fit, not bulky but toned. The man before me now was a barely more than a skeleton. There was very little muscle left on him and not fat. A surge of shame washed over me. I was angry with myself for not noticing that night or seeing the silence as a sign that something was wrong. I hung my head low unable to look Percival in the eyes. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, that I had failed him, but I didn't want to bring his memory back to all the pain, all the suffering he had endured the past months at the hands of Grindelwald. Instead, I just comforted him, that is all I was going to be able to do for him now. 

“I - I’m going to make you some tea,” I said as I stood up. “The extra milk and sugar can help you gain back some stamina.”

I walked over to the table on the far side of the room which had the kettle on it. I could’ve just waved my wand and made it, but instead I did it by hand. I needed something to distract myself. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I moved. The tea pot rattling everso slightly in my hand. I took a deep breath to steady myself. There was nothing I could do about the past but I could do something about the future. In that moment I vowed to be there for Percival from here on out; I would protect him from the prying eyes of everyone, all of MACUSA if I had to. I will protect him from the blame that Picquery was going to try and place on him; I will not let Percival be the scapegoat for my, for MACUSA’s blindness to Graves’ disappearance and replacement.  
With that firmly placed in my mind, I wiped away the tears from my eyes, placed a determined smile on my face and walk with the tea in hand back over to the man I loved. 

“It’s a little hot so we should let it cool for a moment, but when you want some let me know,” I said smiling, with a determined mom voice.  
“Thanks,” Percival mumble smiling slightly. I simply nodded my response them rounded on Newt.  
“Not you,” I said in my determined other brother voice, which was met with a nervous look from Newt. “I think it is time you stopped hiding from your girlfriend and go see her at her apartment.”  
“I am not hiding from her,” Newt said sheepishly, then add more firmly, “and she is not my girlfriend.”  
“Sure keep telling yourself that.”  
“I will,” Newt responded. “But in all seriousness I am a bit scared of her wrath after the escaped Niffler incident.”  
“Well that is understandable, she is rather scary when it comes to your creatures.:  
“I could’ve sworn you were speaking English a moment ago, who are you talking about and what is a niffler?” Percival asked perplexed. “Also please tell me I am hallucinating a green moving twig on Newt’s shoulder.”  
“A niffler is this annoying platypus looking creature that likes to steal all of your shiny things. The “twig” as you called him is Picket, a bowtruckle with attachment issues,” I looked over at Pickett who apparently did not like what I had said and stuck his tongue out at me.  
“Okay the …” Percival muttered still sounding confused and stared at Picket. “And who is this not a girlfriend?”  
“T-Tina Goldstein,” Newt mumbled.  
“Oh her,” Percival commented. “Sweet wonderful lady, until you get her on her bad side then run. I personally have seen her scare several of my senior aurors with a glare, and then next minute she was the sweetest shy girl once again.”  
“Highly accurately and lately I have been on her bad side,” Newt agreed. Picket noticing Newt’s tone of voice attempted to hug his neck, which ended up being just a snuggle.  
“Well then you should get on her good side and go see her,” Percival commented and then ask for a sip of tea.  
“Exactly my point,” I responded as I carefully held the cup so Percival could have tea. “The longer you wait the more ammunition she will have against you.”

Newt groaned audibly, like he was a caged animal wanted to run free. 

“Don’t give me that. Get your ass over there now. Apologize and keep your damn niffler under control,” I lectured Newt.  
“I got it I got it. I am heading out now.” 

Newt headed out the door, with his case in hand. He looked back at me, a moment of hesitation and then walked out. A few seconds later I heard the loud crack of someone apparating and I knew that Newt had decided to go and see Tina. I could only pray she didn’t rip him to shreds like a tiger with a gazelle. Poor bugger. 

~ ~ ~

Getting Percival back to health was not as easy as I would have hoped. He was too weak in the beginning to feed himself, he needed help. Now normally I had a steady hand, being great with a wand and pen alike. Well it turned out that when it came to getting a spoon or fork towards someone else’s mouth … I sucked at it. There was many a time where I would miss and Percy would get covered in whatever food I was trying to feed him. I would hang my head in shame and then Graves would laugh at me. Once the laughing had subsided, I would attempt again and some progress would be made. I honestly was relieved when Percival got strong enough to feed himself; partly case the meant he was healing up but there was definitely that relief that I no longer had to worry about dropping food on him.  
Newt, Tina and Queenie took turns coming to check up on Percival and give me a break from watching over him. By that I mean I was kicked out of the room and sent to clean myself up and in general get some fresh air. The first time I was so reluctant that Tina made a portkey out of the tea pot without me seeing. She then asked me to go and grab it, which when I touched it was sent to straight to her and Queenie’s apartment. I lost my dignity to a teapot … again. After that incident I did not argue with them again.  
The routine was pretty much the same day in and out. Percival would have a restless night, he wakes up I help him get cleaned up and eat. Around lunch I would get kicked out of the room, and wouldn’t be allowed back in for a couple of hours. Then the process would begin again. It was a slow progress to get Percival back to health, some day he could sit up on his own and other time he needed help.  
Over the passing days I started to notice how much more relaxed Percy was when Queenie had been there for the afternoon. I had asked her one time what they talked about and she said same as everyone else; life, the weather, the last escape of Newt’s niffler on MACUSA, the one incident of escaped occamy’s, etc. I had a feeling they spoke about more important things. It is hard to hide anything from Queenie, when she could go right into your mind and passed your guards without even thinking about it. You had no choice but to be open with her. It must have been cathartic for him to not worry about missing a step. But being forced to share. For that I would be forever grateful to Queenie for helping Percival.  
Once time that I came back to the room, two weeks after we had gotten Percival out of the locket, I was struck dead in my steps by what I was seeing. Percival was out of his bed, with one arm wrapped around Queenie’s shoulder, and her arm around his waist. He was slowly walking over to the couch across the room. It wasn’t really a walk, more of a hobble but that was the most movement I had seen him do in weeks. Percival had a determined furrow to his brow. He had complete focus on the task at hand, moving one foot in front of the other. 

“Come on honey,” came the quiet and encouraging voice of Queenie. “You are almost there. You have gotten so much better at this.”

Queenie got just a grunt in reply to her comments, but Percival kept on moving. I moved to the side, just out of sight so I wouldn’t interrupt the progress Percy was making, or make him feel more self conscious than he already did. He made it to the couch and then promptly sat in it, breathing heavily. A chuckle escaped his lips and there was a genuine smile on his face. Not the forced ones I was getting too use to seeing on his face; this one actually reached his eyes. 

“That was amazing Percy,” Queenie said as she sat next to him. “Now take a moment and then Newt will help you back over to the bed.”

A look of surprise and fear quickly crossed Percival’s face with that last sentence. It broke me seeing that look on his features. The smile was gone and he suddenly looked ashamed. He tried so hard to put on a brave face around me, like he was afraid if I saw the truth I wouldn’t want to be near him. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Queenie spoke into the awkward silence in the room. “Mister Graves you are not going to hide from Theseus now. He has been worried sick about you, and hasn’t left your side unless we forced him too. So you are going to walk with him back to your bed with his help and no complaints, understood?”

Then Queenie rounded on me, with a ferocity that I had only seen on her sister’s face when she was ripping into Newt. 

“Now don’t you go thinking you are off the hook with this one either. Theseus have you opened up to Percival either, so you don’t get act hurt either. Yes you care about Percival but have you told him that? No you haven’t. You two need to get use to walking together and telling each other your emotions. Both of you stop thinking about how that is unmanly, that is bull shit and you know it.”

I was taken aback at her words. I should have admitted she was right but my ego was just a little bit bruised by her words. Judging by Percival's shocked expression so was he. 

“Now Theseus get over here and help Percival up,” Queenie motioned me over. “Percival you are going to let him help you across. No this isn’t showing weakness, it is called being smart and not letting yourself fall on your face walking back. No I will not catch you if you try without him. Then once you get to the other side of the room I am going to leave and the both of you are going to have a talk about everything you two are hiding from each other. Oh I will know Theseus if you don’t by tomorrow and there are things that I can do to make you regret it.” 

Swallowing hard against her threats a variety of possibilities of what those things could be I decided I had better do what she said. Graves seem to think the same, although he did move slightly away from Queenie in what I suspected was fear. I was beginning to think Queenie show be the one in the Major Investigations Department with her sister, not taking coffee to all of MACUSA. People should really stop underestimating her just because she was pretty and cheerful. 

“Aww thank you minister but those kind thoughts aren’t going to get you out of this,” Queenie said to me.  
“Noted and I am on my way to help,” I muttered my voice cracking embarrassingly. 

I offered my hand to Percival to help him up. He took my hand and I helped him to his feet. We stood awkwardly for a moment trying to figure out what to do. But there was the ever present stare coming from Queenie that was burning a hole into the back of my head. I pulled Percival’s arm over my shoulder and then move my arm so it was curled behind his back. 

“Okay I got you so let’s try to get over there before Queenie yells at us again,” I muttered.  
“Yeah that would be the plan,” Percival sassed. Yup this was the Percival I knew and loved. 

It took us about three minutes to get back over to the bed. Percival sat down on the edge of the bed, out of breath but smiling with confidence. He was really getting better and he knew it. 

“There you helped each other now you need to talk to each other,” Queenie said with determination. “I am going to go have a coffee and when I return in an hour I had better see you two talking … not Percival not about the weather about deeper things. Do I make myself clear?”

Percy and I nodded in terrified unison. Queenie exited the room in her normal chipper, non-threatening manner; yet so terrifying in the same moment. 

“Umm so you have been practicing walking to gather your strength with Queenie?” I asked.  
“Yeah she noticed me thinking about doing it and then gave me no choice but to start trying,” Percival commented.  
“Oh,” I let out. I was surprised that he hadn’t asked me if he had been thinking about it, hurt to be honest. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped you too.” 

Percival looked away all of the sudden. I tried to read his expression but was getting nowhere. I couldn't tell if it was annoyance, shame, angry, but all three. 

“Percy?” I asked quietly. “What is the matter? Talk to me please.” I pleaded with him.  
“Theseus, I -” Percival took a deep breath. “I don’t know … know where to start. H-he knew things, h-he used you against me.”

That fact hit me like train. Grindelwald had known how we felt about each other, but how? Hell we hadn’t even been honest with ourselves on that. He must have delved into his memories and pulled it out of Percival. 

“I -,” I tried to say something but I couldn’t come up with anything that would be comforting or anything at all. 

“He told me that he wrote to you as me and you couldn’t tell the difference. Grindelwald said that everyone could tell that I was missing because I was the same as him,” Percival spoke fast, tears forming in his eyes. “That I was cold, and to a point I knew he was right. I had only two people who I had as close friends, you and Seraphina. You were at least in England, where the letters may have not been enough evidence of something wrong. B-but Picquery, s-she sat in rooms with him. She interacted daily with that asshole and s-she thought …”

Percival trailed off into a quiet sob unable to finish, the pain all too much. 

“She thought he was you,” I finished his thought. 

I hesitated as I tried to comfort him, I was also one of the people, who unknowingly, hurt him. Why would he accept my comfort, but I had to try. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and pulled Percival close into an awkward side hug. He stayed like that for a moment before he turned into the hug and rested his head on my shoulder. I rubbed his back as his choked sobs turned into a flood of tears. 

“I am so sorry Percy,” I whispered into his ear. “It is my fault I didn’t notice that night. I should have seen a difference. I let you get hurt by Grindelwald, but I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise I will protect and comfort you.” 

I continued to rub his back. I moved to sit in the corner of the bed, leaning against the wall, Percy’s head resting on my chest. I moved my hand through his hair, then leaned down and placing a get kiss on his lips. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, just a small one. I didn’t really know what I was doing, despite what everyone thought I wasn’t a player. I was nervous that Percival would pull away and want me to leave. Instead he smiled and lightly kissed me back. 

“I love you Percy,” I said quietly.  
“I love you too,” Percival muttered smiling as he did. 

We sat there for a while in the silence. Slowly Percival fell asleep, not long after I drifted off as well. I was pretty sure that was the first full night of sleep we had each had in a long time.


	9. Percival hold my flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is a really long chapter. Basically Percival goes to trial and Theseus goes to battle for him.   
> Enjoy!

It took another week before Percival as able to walk on his own confidently. Queenie and I would sneak him out into the halls to give Percy more room to move about and a change of scenery; even if that charge was just a hallway. 

Unfortunately with that amount of progress Seraphina decided that Percival must have been well enough to stand trial. Okay that is how I would describe it. Picquery described it as a debriefing with leading members of MACUSA. It sounded to much like a trial to figure out how best to blame what happened on Percival; to minimize their responsibility in this. I would have been more outwardly upset if I wasn’t trying to allay the fears of Percival.

“They aren’t going to believe me,” Percival muttered as he paced the room; dress to the nines impatiently waiting for us to be escorted to the meeting. 

“No they aren’t. They have already sentenced you as a traitor in their minds and this is just a formality” I thought. Now I couldn’t actually say that aloud because that would only make things worse. I was suppose to be the one giving Percival the pep talk, not the doom talk.

“You can’t know that for sure,” I said trying to convince myself as I spoke. “You just need to speak the truth no matter what others want you to say.”

“But T-Theseus I did let Grindelwald take information from me,” Percival stated, his voice wavering. 

Percival did feel responsible for the problems that Grindelwald was about to cause, and the knowledge that extracted from him. The problem in that was, that was exactly what the council needed … and wanted. If Percival believed it himself then everyone else could be justified in blaming him. 

“He was torturing you,” I grabbed a hold of his hand, pulling Percy to face me. “You had no choice. He took the information by force and you are not responsible for that. Do you understand me?”

Percival gave a small nod looking down. I tilted his head up, my hand under his chin. There were tears forming at the corners of his eyes. 

“I will be there the entire time,” I murmured. “You know that this wasn’t your fault. Tell them what happened, how he stole your memories and identity. I will be there if you need me.”

I leaned down and kissed Percival. He was hesitant at first and them soften into to it. I felt his fingers mess with my hair as his other arm wrapped around my back pulling me closer to him. I wrapped my free around his back rubbing up and down. After a bit I pulled smiling and giggling slightly. I wiped at the remnants of the tears around Percival eyes. He smiled sheepishly at the touch.

“We’ll continue this,” I kissed Percy to tell him what I meant. “When this meeting is over and you are allowed to head home.”  
“Mhmm,” Percy mumbled.

All of the sudden there was aloud knock at the door. I ran my hand through my hair to settle it back in place. Graves pulled at his cloak fixing in place. 

“Come in,” I called, as the door was already opening. 

Three men who I hadn’t seen before enter the room. Percival seemed to recognize them; his demeanour changed as he saw them. His hands curled into fists and he stood taller with a look of restrained annoyance on his face. I took my queue from him to not like the men in front of me. They were all dressed alike in dark blue cloaks. Their faces were expressionless. 

“Graves,” The man in the middle said. He was tallest of the group, with close cut blonde hair. He held the stern face and his voice was full of contempt. “We are here to escort you and Mr Scamander to the council room.”

It was then that I noticed all three of the men had their wands at the ready. That was not a good sign. I knew reaching into my pocket for my wand would be a bad move. Instead, I focused on connecting to my magic so I could use wandless magic if necessary. I wasn’t nearly as good at it as Percival but I could at least cause enough of a distraction to give myself time to grab my wand. 

“Thank you, O’Connor,” He inclined his head to the blond man. Then he addressed the man on the right, then the left. “Jackson, Torres.”  
“So are we apparating or portkeying in?” I asked.   
“No we are taking the muggle way and walking,” The man named Torres stated. “We can’t apparate into MACUSE it has been warded against it.”  
“We know of your issues with Portkeys so we are avoiding that,” Jackson stated knowingly, with way too much satisfaction.

I unwillingly turned red and clenched my fists. How the hell did that get out? Queenie wouldn’t have said anything but the only other person who knew was … Seraphina oh she didn’t. 

“What-?” Percival asked.   
“Later … may be never,” I muttered to him.   
“Lead the way funny man,” I said through gritted teeth. 

It took us about ten minutes to walk to MACUSA. We quickly whisked down an elevator to the council room. Seraphina sat on what I could only describe as a throne. It was isolated, on a pedestal, and much larger than these around it. So much for the Americans moving away from the Monarchy, they had just created their own. There were several other wizards in the room, many of them aurors and other high ranking officials of the Americans. But what surprised me was that there were representatives from other countries, including Britain. That Bitch! This is a trial!  
There was a singular chair in the middle of the floor, facing Picquery. O’Connor lead Percival to sit in that chair and told him to sit down. Then he left to stand next to Seraphina’s chair. Torres and Jackson stood on either side of Graves’ chair, as if he was going to try and make a run for it. All of this left me standing in the middle of the courtroom floor looking really lost. 

“Mister Scamander, sir?” I heard someone call and looked around for the source, only to find the minister waving me over. “Theseus sir, come over here and sit with us.”

By us he meant himself and my brother, the latter who was sitting there uncomfortable. I walked over and took the seat next to Newt instead of the one that the minister was offering.

“What the hell is going?” I asked Newt. “I thought this was just a meeting with Seraphina not some sham trial.”  
“Didn’t you know?” the minister asked surprised. “Grindelwald revealed that Percival had been a willing conspirator. It was back up by an Auror, Robert Jones, confirmed it. He had been helping Grindelwald with hunting for the Obscurist so they could attack the muggles.”   
“Excuse me?” I responded utterly confused. “So we are going to believe the madman who is trying take down the wizarding world by exposing us to the Muggle world and open us to untold reprisals.”

Before the minister could respond Seraphina called the council to order. 

“Council members, come to order,” Picquery said standing up. “Members of MACUSA and our guests from foreign ministries. Before us is Percival Gondulphus Graves he is accused of conspiring to expose the wizarding world with the dark wizard Grindelwald. Mister Graves please stand.”

Percival looked stunned as he shakily came to his feet. Anger surged through me as I realized what was happening, they were actually putting him on trial, and here in America, with these charges, it wouldn’t mean life in prison but death. I was about to lose Percival again, because of the failures of others. I could not let that happen. 

“Mister Graves you have heard the charges brought against you,” Picquery proclaimed. “How do you plead?”

Percival opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out, he looked down. I could see his hand shaking, then curled into a fist. 

“Madame President, I plead not guilty,” Percival had strength and defiance in his voice, something that had been missing for too long. 

There was an audible gasp in the room at his world. It was clear that everyone here had been lead to believe that this was a done deal, that no one thought he would have the guts to go against the charges laid before him,

“Very Mr Graves,” Picquery stated clearly. “Let the trial begin.”  
“That is a very strange move on the part of Mr Graves,” the minister whispered. “The evidence against him is very convincing.”  
“Excuse me,” Newt and I said in unison.   
“Well, I-I mean,” the minister faltered under our gaze. “The information is coming from the man involved in the recent incident and backed up by another accomplice.”  
“Oh you mean the guy who -” I was cut off before I could finish my sentence by Seraphina.   
“O’Conor you may begin with the evidence against Mr Graves.”  
“Thank you Madame President,” O’Conor gave a small nod to Picquery then moved from his position next to her. As he spoke he paced the room. “As we all are aware by now Grindelwald has been for sometime impersonating our former director of major investigations Mr Percival Gondulphus Graves who sits before us. In his impersonation Grindelwald was able to deceive all of those who worked with him, including the President herself. How could this have been possible? Grindelwald would have needed top secret and personal information and the only person who could have given this knowledge was Mister Graves himself. This fact has been confirmed by Grindelwald himself. He has stated that the accused willingly gave to him information that was crucial to the attempt to reveal wizarding world that would have succeeded without the help of Newt Scamander.”

That last statement caused many people to turn and stare at Newt. Newt, being well Newt, did not like the attention and curled in on himself and began to look down at his feet. I put my hand on his shoulder.

“Newt,” I said quietly so the minister wouldn’t be able to hear me.   
Look up they mean nothing and you don’t need to be embarrassed by them. Be proud of who you are and the fact that your creatures you care about saved the, No matter how much they dislike them and you because of it, they don’t matter cause they are wrong. You are better than them.”

Newt gave a small nod, and looked up he didn’t seem quite sure of my words but still he looked straight at the gawkers. 

“Moveover,” O’Conor continued. “The willingly involvement of Mister Graves was confirmed by another Grindelwald accomplice, Robert Jones. As a result, we can conclude that Percival Gondulphus Graves did desire to see the wizarding world of the United States exposed. This means he is guilty of treason, the penalty of which is death.”

The silence that followed O’Conor words was complete. The fact that the penalty of the accusation against Percival was confirmed made me extremely queasy and angry. They were seeking Percival’s end. How could Seraphina allow this to occur I thought she cared about him, that she was his friend. Percy himself shifted uncomfortably, clearly unsure of how he should react. I also had a feeling that the guilt he had been feeling earlier had returned with a vengeance. 

“Now the accused, how do you explain the evidence away?” Seraphina spoke directly to Percival. “Can you explain your involvement? How are we supposed to believe you over the words of the other two men? Explain to the council why you would give them any information, when you knew that Grindelwald wanted to expose our world to the no-majs? Did you aid in Grindelwald’s escape from Europe?”

Percival was left in his seat dazed. He looked absolutely terrified, which lit a fire in me. 

“What are you going to do?” Newt asked cautiously. “You got a strange look on your face. A determined one you get when you’re about to do something dangerous; something mom wouldn’t approve of.” 

I shook my head, not quite trusting my voice at the moment. 

“Well Percival?” Seraphina goaded him.   
“I - I didn’t do any of w-what O’Conor just said,” Percival stuttered out.  
“How are we supposed to believe you Graves?” O’Conor spit out with venom. It was clear that this man had it out for Percival.”  
“I-I am telling the truth,” Graves pleaded.  
“We need evidence that proves you didn’t willingly help Grindelwald,” Seraphina stated.   
“Do you have any evidence?” O’Connor asked closing the distance between him and Percival till he was right in his face. Percival tried to pull away from O’Connor, pulling back as far as the chair would allow.  
“No,” Percival said quietly.   
“No? Then I am sorry but how are we to believe you? We can’t,” O’Connor said right in Percival's ear then turned his attention to Picquery. “Madame President, with no evidence to prove his innocence. It is my recommendation that we proceed to sentencing.”

I got ready to stand up to say something, but then Newt grabbed my arm.

“Theseus? What are you doing?” Newt asked cautiously.  
“What?” I asked surprised. I had been too focused on what I should do and trial below that his voice and hand jarred me to my surroundings.   
“Theseus, I am your brother and I know when you are upset and about to do something that will make me question your sanity,” Newt replied.  
“I can’t let them sentence him without hearing what Grindelwald did to him,” I said. “ Percival won’t say anything, he feels too guilty for what happened.”  
“Do it,” Newt conceded. “You know what I take it back mom may actually approve of this.”

I smiled at Newt’s weird way of approving of my actions. Turning my attention back to the courtroom. O’Connor had continued a grand speech of why Percival should be found guilty based solely on the word of two criminals. It made no sense whatsoever. They really just wanted a scapegoat. 

“Therefore Madame President is to sentence Mister Graves to death,” as O’Connor stated the last words he began to smile. That sent me right over the edge.   
“O’Conor that is bullshit,” I said standing up. “Madame President forgive my language but this trial is absolute bull shit. You wall want evidence that Percival Graves did not give that information willingly? Just look at him. This is not the same man that we all remember from four months ago. There are scars that were not there before.”

“Mister Scamander,” Seraphina began. “If you intend on giving evidence could you please watch your language. Also could you come to the council floor instead of yelling from your seat?”

At that I took the chance to walk done. I stood next to Percival, to give him as much support as I could. I wanted to hug him, to put my hand on his shoulder; but now wasn’t the time or the place. I had to show that I was impartial and giving legitimate evidence not tainted by anything. Although it wasn’t as if they are doing that either. 

“Theseus don’t,” Percival muttered looking away.  
“I have to. I can’t watch and let them sentence you to death without cause.”  
“But-”

I turned away and began to address the others in the room. 

“Council members,” I began. “There is more evidence that proves that Percival gave no information willingly; evidence that O’Connor has neglected to mention. Impersonation being one of them. If Mister Graves was a willing participant in this plot, why would Grindelwald have need to take on his image. Graves could have just done it himself if he was willing. Second, in my own interrogation of Grindelwald he admitted to torturing Mr Graves. Odd considering O’Connor’s evidence is solely based on the word of this criminal, who can’t even keep his story straight.”  
“Well …” O’Connor began to argue back. He was beginning to get flustered, his pale skin turning red with frustration.  
“I am not the only one who heard these statements from Grindelwald,” I turned and directed my furry at Seraphina. She hadn’t stopped this trial when she clearly saw everything that Grindelwald had done. How could she allow this? “Madame President did you not hear the claims of Grindelwald on him torturing Percival Graves?”  
“Well yes b-” Picquery quickly stated.  
“Did you hear him say that he had left Percival to die?” I pressed on. “Were you not present when Newt Scamander aided in retrieving Mr Graves from his own family heirloom? Was he not on the verge of death? Tortured, beaten emotionally and physically? Malnutritioned, barely more than a skeleton?”  
“Yes I was but,” Seraphina’s voice was desperate. I was calling her out in front of her peers, not something a President would want.   
“Are these descriptions not accurate to the state we found Percival in just over four weeks ago?”  
“Yes they are,” she replied looking down, somewhat defeated.   
“And yet you see fit to allow this trial to go forward with no real evidence? With hearsay that is easily rebuked? Did you simply want to rely on the false feelings of guilt that Percival would have since you knew him so well? That he wouldn’t defend himself. Is that why no one told us that this was a full trial, but instead would only be a meeting?”

I paused to let that information sink in. I looked around as I remembered there was a room full of spectators. There were mumbled conversations occurring; many people looked confused by the events that had just transpired. Seraphina looked upset, regretful almost. O’Connor had fully turned red with anger and frustration. I started to shift uncomfortable with all the attention I was getting. I looked back at Percy, who hadn’t moved or said a word since he tried to stop me defending him. I met his eyes, there was a look of betrayal in them. 

“Why,” he mouthed at me. 

I hadn’t really thought this through when I had spoke - well not from his point of view. I had exposed what Percy saw as weakness to everyone. I was going to have to make this right later, and I knew that wouldn’t be easy. 

“I have to,” I mouthed back.  
“Council members,” I continued. “Grindelwald is one of the most powerful dark wizards. I have fought him and lost; the same night that Grindelwald began to impersonate Percival.”

There was more muttering coming from everyone in the room. I looked to percy pleading with him to understand but all I could see was horror on his face. I closed my eyes and looked away.

“Grindelwald has evaded everyone until now. Even so the night that he was captured he took down 30 men on his own, only stopped by one of Newt’s creatures. It took several people working together in order to capture him. We have to remember that there is only one person responsible for what happened, Grindelwald. He manipulated so many of us, hurt many others. It was not Percival Graves’s fault, it wasn’t Madame Picquery’s fault, nor Major Investigations department or the aurors or my own for not noticing something was a miss. Percival was a victim, not someone who was weak and fold to a maniac. He fought back but Grindelwald was persistent and we weren’t there to help. We have to work together to make sure Grindelwald is punished for his crimes and not place blame on other where there is none. Percival Graves is not guilty of treason.”

I look to Newt, unsure if I had done and said the right thing. Newt simply smiled, knowing that I was looking for reassurance. 

“Mister Scamander is right,” Seraphina stated, then stood up addressing the entire room. “Members of the council, we have been swayed and manipulated by Grindelwald yet again. Mister Graves is not a traitor, he is a victim just like we all were of Grindelwald’s deception. We can not allow ourselves to be his puppets anymore. Therefore, this trial is dismissed and the charges are withdrawn. This meeting is adjourned.”

I stood there stunned, not in a bad way by by the fact that my arguments had actually made an impact. The room began to empty out as I just stood there not really registering the movement around me. I was brought out of this by Seraphina putting a hand on my shoulder to get my attention. 

“Theseus?” She asked, her face full of regret. “I am sorry. I just, I got caught up with everyone, trying to figure out what had happened and who allowed it. I - I let Grindelwald play me yet again. He had gotten to know me too well while he was Percival. He knew how to work me.”

I nodded understanding what she meant. 

“I understand, but it isn’t me who you owe an apology to. You need to tell Percival that. He is the one you hurt.”

She only nodded her response, then walked over to Percival. They spoke for a bit, Seraphina doing most of it. I left them to it, feeling that it wasn’t my place to be in that conversation. Percival was closing in on himself, not really listening from what I could tell. Seraphina put a hand on his back before walking away. 

“You are worried that he won’t forgive you for telling everyone about what happened to him,” Newt’s voice came from beside me.   
“Newt you have been spending too much time with Queenie,” I said ignoring his comment.   
“No I am just good at reading you,” Newt replied. “Percival doesn’t know what to think, he is going to need support. But like you did with the war he is going to push everyone away. He doesn’t want to look weak, he wants to appear like he has everything together even when he doesn’t. You can’t let him close off like that, be there for him.”  
“But what if he pushes me away?” I asked, concern and desperation filling my voice.  
“Take inspiration from Pickett don’t let go. If that doesn’t work be like my niffler and do the opposite of what he tells you.”

I let out a very undignified sound at that comment, somewhere in between a laugh and a sigh. I looked over at Percival who was just standing by the chair he had been sitting in. He looked lost, not really knowing what to do. I walked over to him. 

“Percival?’ I asked hesitantly. He wouldn’t look at me or acknowledge me. “Percival? We should get you home. You are free to go.”  
“Yeah … free,” Percival said with contempt, which made me take a step back. “I guess I should see what else he destroyed.”  
“Do you want me to come with you?” I asked. I was more worried about him now, I knew I had pushed too far in the trial but if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have him free now. He would be dead.  
“Fine.”

With that he started to walk out without warning. I started after him. I had to make this right. How I didn’t know, but I would make this right. I wouldn’t lose to himself. He had helped me through my memories of the war, my nightmares. I would help me through this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second last chapter. If you want to see any thing with these guys as a one-shot or something let me know in the comments and I will get to it. I have gotten really into these two :)


	10. The Calm and the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arguments always come, even to the best of couples. Especially when both are trying to protect one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long. Life got in the way, so did writer's block and several jobs.   
> I hope you like it

I followed Percival out of the building. He didn’t really look my way, nor speak to me as we walked.

“I guess we can apparate to my house,” Percival stated. “You know the way.”

With that Percival apparated with a crack leaving me standing awkwardly in a random alley of New York City. 

“Damn it,” I mumbled, then apparated. 

Percival lived just outside the city in a quiet undeveloped piece of land. There were trees surrounding an old Georgian brick house. The exterior had become overgrown with vines making their way up the chimney, grass as high as my knees. It was not the neatly manicured residence I had been to before. 

“Yet another thing destroyed by him,” I heard Percival muttered sadly. With a flick of his wand some bewitched gardening tools began to take flight, trimming here and there. 

Percival finally turned around and looked at me as if surprised I actually followed him to the house. Without speaking he headed towards the door and inside the house. There were portraits on the walls as soon as you walked through the threshold. One portrait’s occupant was ready with an interrogation as soon as Percival walked in, with me trailing in his wake.

“Grindelwald get the fuck out of my house so help me,” came the voice of a man.   
“Grandpa it is me,” Percival said looking over at the older man glowering from the portrait. I recognized some of the same features that both Gondulphus Graves and his great times ten grandson shared.  
“I don’t -” Gondulphus said skeptically and I saw Percival’s face fall into the sad expression that had almost become permanent.  
“Mr Graves sir,” I began. “It is Percival. Grindelwald’s deception was revealed and he is now rotting in prison.”  
“Well I hope he is,” Gondulphus stated. “That evil man should be punished. Plotting to overthrow the delicate secrecy between No-maj and wizarding world. Not to mention masquerading as Percival and doing God knows what to him!”  
“I hope he i,” I responded.

Percival made a sound of agreement. 

“Now Percival, how are you doing? Who got you out? Are you hurt?”

I was take aback by the questions that Gondulphus asked. There was genuine concern on his face. 

“I’m fine,” Percival muttered.  
“Do not give me that,” came Gondulphus in a stern voice. Fine we will not discuss this at the door. Come to the sitting room and I will meet you there. Theseus dear, if you wouldn’t mind making some coffee and food. The house is still in good order even if the yard is not.”  
“Will do Mr Graves,” I said cheerily. Gondulphus seemed satisfied with my answer and he stepped out of the frame of his portrait, off to the one in the other room. 

That left Percival and I in yet another awkward silence, something that was starting to get really tiresome. Percival took to getting rid of all the extra layers he had donned to look respectable at the council meeting. He took off the thick over cloak and put it on the coat rack near the door. 

“You don’t have to make anything,” Percival muttered. “I will be fine.”  
“I am sure you would but you aren't getting rid of me that easily,” I responded taking off my own cloak. “Now go to the sitting room and I will make coffee and a snack.”  
I shooed him off and walked over to the kitchen. The kitchen seemed in pretty good shape; the enchantments that kept the room clean and brought in fresh produce were still functioning. I started to work some magic making a pot of coffee for Percival and tea for myself. I decided to make apple strudel, praying that it would turn out well. I am neither good at magical cooking or muggle cooking; I was taking a bit of a gamble.   
Walking over to the sitting room I tried to listen not what Percival and his grandfather were talking about.

“Percival you need to tell someone what happened,” I heard Gondulphus say.  
“No, I told a small bit to one person and now all of the council knows. They all will see only my weakness! How will I ever garner their respect now?”

My heart sank. This wasn't my intention, I was just trying to save him; I didn't’ want him thinking I betrayed his trust. Nothing I said should have been new to them, the council, but it was I never told them exactly what Percival had told. And yet Percival thinks that I hurt him.

“Percival explain to me how you are weak.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Tell me how you are weak?” Gondulphus pressed again.  
“I let Grindelwald capture and impersonate me. I gave him all the information which caused so much damage.”  
“Oh so you dropped your wand and just told him everything?”  
“Well … no,” Percival conceded.   
“Then you put up a fight correct?” Percival nodded. “So then you are not weak, this is not your fault. If people see this as weakness it is their own problem, nothing to do with your actions. Isn’t that right Mr Scamander?”

I was startled by Gondulphus calling my name. I wonder how long he knew I had been standing there.

“That is right sir,” I said as I walked into the room.

I handed Percival his coffee and strudel, he tried to avoid making eye contact as he looked up. Then I took a seat across from Percival with my own. Percival stared into his cup of coffee, looking at his own reflection in it for a minute before I decided to speak.

“Percy,” I started more aware of the eyes of Gondulphus and all the other Graves ancestors staring at me. “What I said earlier, at the council meeting, it wasn’t anything that you had told me. The fact that Grindelwald forcibly took information from you is something that everyone should have known. You are not a person who would give up without a fight, it is just part of your personality; you don’t give up anything easily, I mean with anything. It took me what four days to get your full name from you. I only told them something that would be obvious to people who knew you. But I didn’t tell them how Grindelwald got the information, what exactly he said and did. I wouldn’t betray your trust like that.”   
“They will find out,” Percival stated barely audible.  
“Find out what Percy?” I asked. I couldn’t figure out he was after they would find out. “Percy what is it that you don’t want them to know?”  
“Theseus, you know most of what happened. Think,” Percy looked up at me then, his eyes pleading with me to understand.   
“It is about us isn’t it? You are afraid that people are going to learn that he, Grindelwald, impersonated me to mess with you.”

Percival gave me a small nod. I took a deep breath, trying to understand and see it from his perspective. Being gay was an issue in the muggle world in the UK, but it wasn’t as much of an issue among witches and wizards. Yes you would get the odd look from the older generation but nothing like how the muggles would treat you. But here, in the US, the wizarding community seemed to mirror the muggle world much more. That would explain the fear in his eyes and the worry about everyone finding out. 

“People would shun us wouldn’t they?” I asked, looking down. I was sure what the answer would be; knowing I wouldn’t like it.   
“Some would, others would be confused. Some will not change how they treat you, while others will attack you,” Gondulphus said. 

I looked up then, towards his portrait. He was looking down at us with concern in his eyes. Gondulphus had probably guessed by now how close we were but he had never made any comment. 

“Most won't try to kill us like many no-majs would but …” Percival trailed off.  
“Percival,” I muttered not sure what to say anymore.

I wasn’t sure if this was going to be end of us. Should it be? I didn’t want to put him in any more danger than he was already in. He had been through enough but that meant giving up what we had, what I had just fought to save. I didn’t want to do that at all. 

“What do you want to do? Should we stop whatever this is?”  
“Don’t you dare,” came the scathing words of Graves Senior. “You can not allow this man to take one more thing from you Percival.”   
“It is not just him grandfather,” he said loudly then continued more quietly. “It is a lot of MACUSA too. Many of them will not respect us. It could bring down heat on all of us.”   
“Has not the Graves name already done that? Percival you have sacrificed so much for MACUSA, for the American wizarding world. Do not give them your happiness too.”  
“Grandfather -”  
“No listen to me I helped found MACUSA because we were being persecuted and hunted down by no-majs. I may not have in my lifetime thought much on people who like the same sex but I have seen so many generations of my family live in ways I originally would not have agreed with. They have taught me many things, and you are no different. The spirit of MACUSA was to shelter and protect those who were being attacked by people who did not understand them. This is what I was thinking then and today it should include so much more.”  
“What would you have us do then?” Percival asked, clearly frustrated and confused.  
“Go about your relationship,” Gondulphus replied. “You worked together before and so you should continue. Do not stop living your life because of what ifs. Too much has been taken from us if we do that; we would be living in hiding and fear our entire lives. That is no way to live, to second guess every move that you make.”  
“You want us to just live as if there is no risk out there?” I asked, starting to question how sane Gondulphus was.   
“Well obviously I mean think over what you are doing, be a little cautious, but do not let it rule your life.”   
“I guess,” Percival responded hesitantly. “We just need to be aware of who is around.”

I looked over at Gondulphus wondering what I should do. He gave me a small nod and walked out of his portrait, giving us some privacy. I wasn’t sure what the nod was meant to convey but I assumed he approved of what I had said earlier.  
I stood up then and walked over to a chair that was right next to Graves, the one that I had avoided sitting in when I entered the room. I leaned over and pulled one of his hands into mine.

“Percy we know the risks, but we also know how to be careful. We can’t pretend like there isn’t anything between us,” I said looking straight at him. “We tried that and it was painful for both of us. It ended up with you being captured and me thinking you hated me. Obviously you got the worst part of that.”

Percival gave a small chuckle, one that held little humor, but it served to get him to look up at me. 

“My point is,” I continued looking straight him. “Any time we have ignored our feelings it never end well. Either way something could go wrong as we have found out. So why not get a little bit of happiness, instead of dealing with the constant sense of heartbreak at what could have been.”  
“I guess.”

Was that all I was going to get from this man? I lay out my heart and all I get is a non-committal grunt and an “I guess?” Nope he is not getting away with that.

“Really … just an I guess?!” I rounded on him. “Well maybe I really shouldn’t be trying so hard to convince you. If you don’t see the value in this maybe you were right, that leaving this would be for the best.”

As much as I was annoyed with him, I wasn’t angry. I was just extremely sad and heartbroken. I tried to stop the tears from coming but I wasn’t quite succeeding in that. Percival had stopped looking at me after his “I guess.” I knew he was trying to make it easier to send me away and do what he thought was the right thing. Could I really fault him in that? I desperately wanted to but I just couldn’t bring myself to.

“Maybe … i-it is best i-if I just left,” I mumbled looking down and away.

I got up, thinking about where I could go before I headed back to England. The only place I could think of was the Goldstein sibling’s place. Although with Queenie’s ability to listen in on my thoughts that wasn’t the greatest of places to go. I could just hide in Newt’s trunk till the next ship came to go back to England.  
As I started to walk away I felt a hand grab mine and pull me back. I came to a stop where I stood, refusing to turn around. I didn’t want this to be any harder than it already was.   
There was a long pause.

“Theseus …” Percival started and trailed off. “I … please look at me.”

Percival was still holding my hand, more gently than his earlier grip. I had tears blotting my face. Did I really want to turn around and look at him with all that had just happened? Does he think he can just push me away and expect me not to be upset? Maybe he should see how his lack of action made me feel. I turned around without wiping my tears away but kept my gaze down not wanting to meet his eyes. 

“Theseus …” again Percival stopped. He lifted up my chin so my eyes were level with his. His other hand left go of mine and wiped the tears from my eyes. 

I pulled away from him not because I was angry with him. I loved him and I understood why he was pushing me away but this was making it so much harder to leave. I just couldn’t bare it.

“Stop toying with me,” I said choking on fresh tears that had started to fall. “If I have to leave then just let me. Stop making it harder for us.”  
“You are right,” Percival said.  
“W-what?! About what?”  
“About it, I mean us. It is worth the risk. You saw how well I dealt with the aftermath of Grindelwald, especially defending myself-”  
“You mean doing nothing.”  
“Exactly. But from what I hear you didn't do well with my disappearance either from what Newt, Queenie and Tina told me. Including an incident with a teapot portkey?”

I gave a sound of displeasure at that statement. Of course they had been gossiping about that.

“You are right, we can’t let our fear rule us. We seem to do terrible on our own but maybe we can do slightly better together. We can be here for each other. In public we may have to be cautious but in private we can be ourselves. We care of each other and we shouldn't let the ignorance and opinions of others stop us, shame us into a corner to hide for the rest of our lives. So we may not be able to do this in public, we can do this here,” Percival took a step forward, closing the distance between us. 

My breath got stuck in my throat as he put a hand on my cheek. His hand was cold with nerves, but gentle. I flinched at the touch; not because of the cold but at the sudden nature of it. After a moment, I let my head sink into Percival’s palm. Leaning in Percival placed his lips to mine, lightly at first. I leaned into the kiss, as his other hand moved to wipe away the tears from my eyes. I couldn’t help but smile into the kiss.

“Are you sure about this?” I stepped forward to rest my head on Percy’s shoulder.  
“I am not sure of much right now, but I feel like this is the right move,” Percival responded, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug.

Percival felt safe and warm as I nuzzled into his chest. He half carried, half dragged me to the couch a few feet from where we were standing. We both landed on the couch with a thud. 

“You were so cooperative in getting here,” Percival stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm.   
“You are warm and I didn’t want to move,” I mumbled into his chest. 

I felt more than heard Percival’s laughed. He rubbed my back, his hands kneading out the balls of stress from the day’s events. I lifted up my head so I could kiss him again. The kiss was not as soft as the earlier ones, there was less hesitation. We both knew that the other wanted this. I put my arms around Percival’s back and pulled him closer, pressing myself into him more. I messed with his hair as we kissed. He did that same but was far more successful than me; I ended up getting it all tangled and pulled a few strands out. 

“Oww,” Percival commented breaking away rubbing the back of his head, slightly breathless. “You trying to make me bald?” He chuckled at the end, I had turned completely red, blushing like a fool.   
“N-no,” I stammered. 

Percival settled back into the couch his arm around my shoulders pulling me onto his chest like I had done to him just over a week ago. He rubbed circles on my shoulder without much thought, occasionally kissing my hair or forehead. 

“I wish we could stay here. Not having to worry about what others may think,” I said quietly.

Percy gently kissed my forehead before answering.

“I know. I wish the same. While we can’t have that, we can stay here tonight. Not worry what others think, just about each other.”  
“That sounds nice,” I said yawning as I did.  
“Don’t fall asleep on me just yet, hun.”  
“I’ll try,” I replied, then pulled his hair joking.  
“Hey, is that what it is going to be like then?”  
“Yup.”

We burst into laughter. I knew that at least for tonight we could be safe in each other’s arms. Tomorrow new things would come. We would face them them together; not fighting one another or hiding how we felt. But tonight it would just be us, two people who love each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this and want to see more please send me prompts to my tumblr.  
> archaeologydigit.tumblr.com


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